Rovers will be facing an experienced and high quality side in Stoke City, according to Tony Mowbray.

The Potters are one place and one point ahead of Rovers before kick-off with the game being earmarked as youthfulness against experience.

Michael O’Neill has assembled a strong squad but one that will be stretched this weekend with regular first-teamers Joe Bursik, Harry Souttar, Joe Allen and Nick Powell among those available.

Though Mowbray sees plenty of quality available to the Potters who have been particularly strong at home, with six wins and only one defeat from their nine bet365 Stadium fixtures.

“They’re an experienced team, Steven Fletcher at 34 epitomises that. It will be interesting to see if they play Fletch in the third game of a week,” Mowbray said.

“(James) Chester, (Danny) Batth, (Leo) Ostigard is a young boy, but they have a lot of experience, I know Joe Allen got sent off but they have (Mario) Vrancic and Romaine Sawyers have both got out of this division in the last couple of years.

“They’re top players in this league.

“If you look back at some of the financial data, the power that Stoke City have financially is pretty scary really so it’s no surprise they have got high quality players.

“I see it as a good challenge, a game to go and test ourselves in and see whether our youthful energy can overcome the more experienced and quality footballers that they have got.”

The task for Rovers will be to defend well behind the ball and possess a threat going the other way, and Mowbray says O’Neill’s side will be wary of their attacking intent.

He said: “This game will be like every other game, they will have some level of control at times, their wing-backs play high and put a lot of balls in your box, can we defend those balls into the box?

“And if they commit too many men forward can Wharton pick the first pass to release the midfield player to slide in Brereton or Dolan in behind and we break away and score?

“They will be conscious of our threats.

“As with any game you try and nullify the opposition threats and you have to try and accentuate your own.

“It should be a decent game of football.”

Rovers were beaten 1-0 in the Potteries last season but had wo 2-1 and 3-2 on their previous two visits, a trick they will be aiming to repeat tomorrow.

“I enjoy going to Stoke, it’s a great stadium, a great place to play, nice big pitch and we have generally expressed ourselves,” Mowbray added.

“We’ve had some good days away at Stoke.”

Mowbray’s opposite number O’Neill has been impressed with Rovers, not least their ability to keep finding players who can score goals, with Ben Brereton taking over the mantle from Adam Armstrong following his summer departure.

While Stoke don't have a player in double figures, Rovers possess the Championship's second top scorer.

O’Neill said of Rovers: “They’re a good side. I’ve always felt that from my first season in the job. They’ve always had good players, they always seem to find a striker who can score.

“They’ve compensated for the loss of Adam Armstrong with Ben Brereton, who is obviously having a very good season on 16 goals. They came through a little bit of a difficult period earlier in the season and they’ve got a bit of consistency into their team and results at this minute in time.

“It will be a tough game but I think they always come and try to play. It’ll be a good game of football, an open game of football and one that both teams will try to win.”