Tony Mowbray says he has spoken with Rovers owners Venky’s about the prospect of letting fringe players leave before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

Dan Butterworth, Harry Chapman and Jacob Davenport could leave before the window closes despite the Rovers squad being stretched by injury.

All three were part of the matchday squad at Luton Town with Butterworth making his 11th appearance of the season off the bench in the second half.

Rovers lost both Tayo Edun and Sam Gallagher to injury during the course of the 0-0 draw where Mowbray was already without a host of players.

Yet Mowbray knows for the development of the trio moves away this month could serve them best.

Midfielder Davenport has interest from Aberdeen while Rovers have received enquiries from League One clubs for Butterworth.

There was the prospect of a loan move for he 22-year-old last week, but injuries and unavailability in the forward areas saw those plans shelved.

Those could be revisited before the deadline, not least since the arrival of Ryan Hedges from Aberdeen.

Chapman was back in a matchday squad for the first time since August after returning from a loan spell at Burton Albion.

The 24-year-old joined the Brewers on deadline day in August but having already played for Rovers, and EFL rules permitting any player from featuring for three sides in a single season, if Chapman is to leave then it would have to be back to the Pirelli Stadium.

That leaves Burton with the upper-hand on the negotiations table, with discussions between the two ongoing.

Rovers’ depth would be reduced should more fringe first-team players leave, however Mowbray has never been one for stockpiling players, and with incomings expected alongside players returning from injury in the coming weeks, the club could look to take advantage of the interest.

“I’m player centric and I’ve had these conversations with the owners,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“If there’s a chance for these lads to play, not to weaken the squad of course, but they don’t play very much.

“You saw the bench, that was it, that’s why (Daniel) Ayala got put upfront because we didn’t have any other options.

“We needed some physicality otherwise we couldn’t get out.

“My belief is Butterworth, Chapman, potentially Jacob, should go out on loan. We’ll discuss him the next time we speak but it feels as though we can’t let them go because we haven’t got any bodies.

“If we get some bodies in and there’s ones to come back in the next few weeks from injury we’ve got three or four of those so can you let two or three go out on loan? Maybe.”

Connor McBride has had interest from Crewe Alexandra in the window, but other League One interest could well emerge before the deadline.

Jack Vale could also be set to team up with his former Under-23s manager Billy Barr at Salford City where he is assistant to ex-Rovers boss Gary Bowyer.

The Wales youth international scored a hat-trick in last week’s Under-23s win over Leeds United and spent the first half of the season at FC Halifax in the National League.

What any departures would do is open the door to some of the club’s top prospects at Under-18s and Under-23s level becoming more involved with the senior side.

“It could be an opportunity for some of these young players doing well at Under-18s or Under-23s to get themselves on the bench, even if my mindset isn’t to play them, we’re trying to develop the club and not have to spend £5m on players but bring through Ash Phillips, Jake Garrett and Adam Wharton,” Mowbray added.

“If they get an opportunity because the squad dictates they’re the next ones in then that’s fine by as long as we don’t have to rely on them to win football matches.”