Charlie Mulgrew could return from injury for Rovers’ home game with Hull City on Saturday, but there are no guarantees of his place in the starting line-up.

The captain has missed the last three games, including league wins over Millwall and Ipswich Town.

Jack Rodwell has deputised for the 32-year-old in the Championship fixtures which have seen Rovers keep back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since August.

Rovers had previously gone two months without a clean sheet and the form of 27-year-old Rodwell alongside Darragh Lenihan means Mowbray may opt to leave out Mulgrew should he be deemed fit enough to return.

Mulgrew has been a guaranteed starter for Rovers when fit, under Tony Mowbray and he has been among the goals again this season, contributing eight from central defence.

But of his back four, the same in the last two league wins, Mowbray said: “I’m pleased for them, and for Jack Rodwell.

“He’s had a topsy-turvy career.

“We see his attributes and he’s amazing to watch in training, how natural he is with the ball at his feet.

“You see flashes of that when he’s stuck in a corner, checks back inside and gets away from the centre forward and brings the ball out.

“He does that every day in training.

“He has to do it on the grass for us and he has in the last two games.

“He will have an opportunity now and why would we change that?

“Let’s hope he can keep performing, we can keep winning games and keeping clean sheets.”

Mulgrew has been struggling for a hamstring injury picked up in the FA Cup tie at Newcastle earlier this month and has missed the last three games.

Fellow defender Derrick Williams is also yet to feature in the league in 2019 because of a calf problem.

Rodwell has himself just recovered from a spell on the sidelines with illness, which had left Rovers short of defensive options, not least for last week’s FA Cup third round replay defeat to Newcastle where Ryan Nyambe was drafted in as a central defender.

But things are looking better on that front ahead of the visit of Hull City, with Mowbray admitting Williams could well have been involved last weekend.

The boss explained: “Derrick Williams was really close, he could have sat on the bench but had only trained once in the last two weeks.

“He looked alright in training and will have a full week now.

“Hopefully Charlie will be back out with us next week, he’s been on the grass but with the physios and not joining in with the team.

“I would suggest he’s got every chance of being available for next weekend but whether we decide to keep it as it is we will wait and see.”