Running out of centre halves has been a regular theme for Rovers in recent Championship seasons.

Last January they had to bring in Jarrad Branthwaite and Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan after injuries to Daniel Ayala and Scott Wharton, while in the post-lockdown matches they had to turn to the previously frozen out Charlie Mulgrew.

No sooner had they loaned out Paul Downing in January 2019 than Lenihan limped off at Brentford in the very next match.

Tony Mowbray has always been keen to get his young central defenders valuable experience out on loan, Wharton testament to that theory as he continues to shine on the left of the back three after three successive seasons away from Ewood Park.

Hayden Carter and Tyler Magloire have done well in the early stages of their loans at Portsmouth and Northampton Town respectively, yet when Ayala pulled out in the warm-up with Lenihan already suspended at West Brom, it required a re-think.

Ryan Nyambe has always been Mowbray’s fall-back in that position and that was where he turned.

There has been a feeling that maybe the right side of a back three could be the ideal position for Nyambe who is up there with the best one-v-one defenders in the division. Quick, strong, powerful and a willingness to get his head down and run forward, it seems perfectly suited to him.

You can count on one hand the number of players to have really troubled him in a foot race, neither Karlan Grant or Callum Robinson could be added to that list on Monday night.

Concerns over his aerial ability have been allayed in recent times, one of the many facets of his game he has worked hard on, while his time away with the Namibia national team has undoubtedly added a sense of responsibility to his game.

As a wing-back in particular, Nyambe has limitations in the fact that approaching 200 games, is yet to score and has only seven assists.

Yet Rovers’ results with him in the side speak for themselves. Defeats to Nottingham Forest (on the bench), Hull City (suspended), Blackpool (concussion) and West Brom (injury) have all come when Nyambe has been out of the side.

Of the seven matches he’s not started, Rovers have two wins, one draw and four defeats, while he also played only 21 minutes of the defeat at Huddersfield Town.

As is now custom, any mention of Nyambe cannot be made without reference to his contractual situation.

Contract extensions in recent times have been three years plus, Thomas Kaminski the latest to secure one of those.

That is why it was a surprise when, in 2019, the agreement with Nyambe was in essence an extra two years, including the option that was triggered with in the summer.

When that was signed he had to displace captain at the time Elliott Bennett from the right back position, something the player himself acknowledged when speaking after the 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Sheffield United.

Yet his outing at West Bromwich Albion means that Nyambe has now played at least 25 league matches in Rovers’ last six seasons and he could yet beat the 33 starts made last term.

Contracts are complex, but also personal, issues. Nyambe has never courted the limelight, his man of the match interview on Sky Sports after the 0-0 draw at West Brom was a rare moment infront of the cameras.

He hasn’t given his side of the story in the way that Joe Rothwell did after speculation over his future in January.

That means his situation can only be interpreted from the information provided from the other side of the negotiation table.

His situation, at least currently, appears to be the most difficult to overcome in that there is no ongoing dialogue between the club and his representatives. As a result, there would have to be a shift in stance for anything close to an agreement being reached.

Nyambe has great qualities as both a player, and person, his work in his native Namibia testament to that.

A player so liked around the club, an undoubted success story of the Academy, finds himself in the middle of an uncomfortable situation.

Though Mowbray has never once had to call into question his commitment and Nyambe has never been one to kick up a fuss, just getting on with the job at hand which he did so impressively at The Hawthorns.

Links to Premier League clubs in January proved unfounded, Rovers receiving no bids last month, while all previous interest has proven to be little more than polite enquiries.

And the same time a deal offering long-term security, at a rate the club feel is as good as they can offer, sits unsigned.

Whatever the long-term future holds, Nyambe has at least proven a capable deputy in the now famed Rovers back three as they chalked up a fifth clean sheet in eight games.