Tony Mowbray is pleased with the application of Rovers’ out of contract players but knows the situation could all change in the January transfer window.

Ryan Nyambe, Darragh Lenihan and Joe Rothwell continue to be key figures in the side that has moved into the top six despite not agreeing to new deals and their futures uncertain.

There have been no breakthrough over talks between the club and the trio, but Mowbray has raised the prospect of the situation changing in Rovers’ favour post-January. But any concerns over their heads being turned have proved unfounded.

“I think that’s important, it’s a very fluid situation, the clock ticks, it’s going to be really interesting as to what January brings. It’s there in front of us,” Mowbray said.

“Let’s see whether the phone rings, whether the players who are out of contract and the team continues to do well whether it will change any thought patterns.

“For me, I’m not getting overly stressed about it, if players don’t want to play for our team then we’ll replace them, we’ll buy or recruit other players and hopefully the team will keep progressing and getting better.

“The players might have a dilemma, who’s to say that being with a team with a genuine opportunity of being in the top six and trying to get out of this division, would you want to leave a club that’s doing so well?”

“Ideally, as they know, we’d like to keep the players together that we’ve got and add bits of quality around them.

“Let’s see what January, and beyond, brings. If the window shuts and players still haven’t agreed to sign new deals with us, or moved, then we’ll make calls on it in early February.”

Rovers fans want to retain the services of their current squad in a bid to maintain their quest for a return to the Premier League.

Top scorer Ben Brereton is expected to attract interest but the club look set to stand firm in their valuation for the Chile international, while they remain hopeful of keeping hold of loanees Jan Paul van Hecke and Reda Khadra for the remainder of the season.

All indications are for a quiet window in the top-flight, but should that change and bids for Rovers’ key men come, Mowbray says those decisions will rest with owners Venky’s.

He added: “There’s decisions to be made in January. If the phone rings and we get some extremely high bids for our players then we have some decisions to make.

“Is the situation we could find ourselves in January too good and turn them down to keep the group together and try and improve and strengthen it?

“Those are all clubs decisions.”

Extended contracts are on the table for Nyambe, Lenihan and Rothwell and have been for some time, with Rovers pitching them within their current wage structure, something Mowbray is understanding of.

“We have a few players who are regular in our team out of contract in the summer, we’re trying really hard to keep this group together and push on together. It’s not easy in a pandemic to throw cash about and we won’t do that. We have to live within our means,” he said.