Bradley Dack is continuing to build-up his fitness in a bid to make an impact at first-team level.

Dack played in Tuesday’s behind-closed-doors friendly with Accrington Stanley in which Harry Leonard and Dilan Markanday were both on target.

The 28-year-old also played, and scored, against Port Vale in a similar game on the eve of the new season.

That came on the back of Dack netting in the final pre-season friendly at Lincoln City, though those 60 minutes were his only action of the close season matches after picking up an injury.

Tomasson is keen for Dack to get fully up to speed, with the attacker having been an unused substitute against QPR.

Indeed, the head coach is eyeing more behind-closed-doors matches, alongside the Under-21s fixtures, to ensure that his squad are ready when called upon.

The arrival of Sam Szmodics adds competition in Dack’s favoured No.10 role, but Tomasson feels that is only healthy.

Dack played nine matches as a substitute after returning from a second ACL injury in March, meaning he hasn’t started a league fixture since March 2021.

Of Dack, Tomasson said: “I think first of all he played at Lincoln and was unlucky to get injured in pre-season.

“I gave him the game-time there, he scored a brilliant goal, you also saw that he needs a bit.

“He’s working on that.

“You need competition in a team, you need boys who work their socks off for the team because there’s only one thing that’s not important and that’s the team.

“The team is number one.

“So we need competition. When new players come in it’s nice because everyone is awake and needs to perform.”

Szmodics outlined the No.10 role as his best position one that Dack excelled in prior to his first injury in December 2020.

But Szmodics sees no reason why they can’t play in the same team, adding: "I think me and Dacky are very similar players but very different at the same time.

"Technically, Dacky is very, very good. I have known him for a while and played against him.

“There is no reason we can't play in the same team, there is a lot of rotation and no set positions.”

Dack will be part of the first-team squad at Swansea City this weekend.

Rovers’ fringe players could get the chance for minutes when the Under-21s get their season under way against Everton tonight.

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