Ben Brereton’s absence due to the televised switch of tomorrow night’s game with Middlesbrough is a ‘frustration’ but Tony Mowbray isn’t looking for excuses.

Brereton has joined up with the Chile national team ahead of their World Cup qualifiers with Argentina (January 28) and Bolivia (February 1) and will miss Rovers’ games with Middlesbrough and Luton Town.

The attacker was only set to miss the Kenilworth Road fixture on January 29 but when the game with Middlesbrough was switched from Saturday to Monday, his absence became two matches.

Mowbray said there was no chance of any resistance from Rovers to the date change which comes at a time when Rovers are struggling with availability.

“Basically that’s what happens,” Mowbray said.

“The frustration for us is that it got moved from a Saturday to a Monday and if it was on the Saturday he’d have been available.

“But it’s not, we have to live with that and he can’t play. There’s not a lot we can do about that.

“The irony is that Brereton had scored all of these goals and the reason for this game being on the TV might have been that Ben was playing and show the world this kid that’s banging in goals every week in the Championship.

“Yet the reality is that he’s not going to be playing in the game.

“I say a frustration, it’s part and parcel of football, every team has suffered whether it be Covid, injury or suspension and we have to get on with it.

“I take responsibility for the performance, good or bad, in every game, and whatever the team is I can have a little moan to you guys about not being able to keep the consistency but there’s no excuses, we have to perform.

“We have to play against Middlesbrough and let them feel our quality and work ethic and desire to win football matches and get the fans wrapped up in the game.”

There have been no bids for Brereton this month, despite a host of speculation around his future.

Rovers have always remained confident about keeping their 20-goal top scorer beyond the January 31 deadline, with his future set to come into greater focus in the summer when he moves into the final 12 months of his contract.

The window will have closed by the time Brereton returns to Rovers in the lead-up to the Swansea City trip to February 5.

And asked about his future by Sky Sports, Mowbray replied: “There hasn’t been a question asked.

“I can’t see Ben Brereton leaving our club this window, hugely unlikely.

“I couldn’t say 100 per cent, but I can give you 99 per cent that he’s not leaving our football club this window.

“He’s away for the next week to 10 days.

“I would suggest very strongly that Ben will be banging goals in during the second part of the season for us.

“Then we’ll see what the summer brings.

“He has another year left and we’ll re-address everything in the summer.”