Tony Mowbray will give careful thought to his FA Cup selection and that could see him hand a rest to several first-team stars at Wigan Athletic.

The same 10 outfield players have started the last six matches as Rovers stretched their unbeaten run to nine matches and move second in the Championship.

Daniel Ayala and Sam Gallagher have had to be patient in their bid to earn recalls after injury, while Bradley Johnson, Tayo Edun and Tyrhys Dolan are others who will be keen to get their chance at the DW Stadium.

Mowbray wants those players to be up to speed heading into the second half of the season but wants to ensure the momentum built up in going two months without defeat continues.

He said: “It’s a balance, we have to prepare the players who haven’t played because this team has been pretty consistent over a period of time. The same XI have managed to stay fit and keep going.

“There are players behind them who need game-time for when they’re asked to come on and play.

“If they haven’t played for six or seven weeks, not even been on the pitch some of the subs, then it becomes an issue.

“There will be an opportunity to change a few around, ideally there’s a chance to keep momentum going by winning games.

“The message isn’t any different for the lads who start and the lads who come into the team, they know that.

“The positive is that it’s week to week so I don’t think there’s a need to rest players, the only fear is that of injury and trying to get the other lads up to speed if and when they’re needed to play in our team.”

Rovers have so far avoided a raft of Covid cases within the squad which has enabled them to stick with an unchanged side for the last six unbeaten matches.

Mowbray says there is an element of luck attached to that, but also credits the protocols put in place to ensuring the safety of their players.

“Have we been fortunate or pedantic about how we’ve gone about looking after ourselves with Covid? I think it’s a bit of both,” he added.

“We’ve put in so many protocols at our football club to keep everyone safe.

“My missus is saying to me ‘we’ve got an invitation to go to so and so’s house tonight’ and I say ‘good luck, enjoy it, I’ll see you when you get in’.

“I’m saying the same to the players. Don’t expose the team, your mates, our club to that for a quiet drink with the next door neighbour in my mind.

“We have look after the team and somewhere along the line if you get one it could turn in to 10 or 11 pretty quickly.”

Rovers look set to be forced into one change this weekend, with Harry Pickering struggling with the hamstring injury that forced him off in the draw with Huddersfield Town last time out.

Mowbray will give up an update on the left back’s fitness today, while Aynsley Pears is expected to return in goal in place of Thomas Kaminski.