Tony Mowbray has hinted Ben Brereton could be given a second run-out for Rovers Under-23s at West Ham on Monday.

Brereton scored twice in a Premier League Cup win at Doncaster as part of an Under-23s side which included Harry Chapman, Jacob Davenport and Joe Nuttall, who also bagged a brace.

Davenport and Chapman have become regulars for Damien Johnson’s side as they build up their respective fitness from injuries.

Brereton and Nuttall have found game-time for the senior side hard to come by recently, with Brereton himself admitting his confidence had taken a dip after failing to score for Rovers since his big money move from Nottingham Forest.

“For them it will have been beneficial,” Mowbray said of the quartet’s appearance in the 5-1 win.

“I think it’s important they don’t get caught between the cracks of being on the bench but not getting enough game-time, doing the training, but not getting any physicality in to them.

“It was to give them game minutes so when they do get called upon they feel more ready. It will benefit them I’m sure.

“Monday away at West Ham, maybe there will be some more game-time for some of those players.”

Brereton and Nuttall were both on the bench for the first team in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham, while defender Tyler Magloire and attacker Dan Butterworth both travelled with the senior side before turning out for the Under-23s on Monday.

That could be the case again as Rovers head to Rotherham United looking to end their five game wait for a win.

Rovers overcame a young Doncaster side at the Keepmoat Stadium on Monday to progress to the knockout stages of the Premier League Cup.

But Mowbray, who was in the stands watching, added: “Is Under-23s football going to prepare them for the Championship? Probably not.

“I watched the game on Monday against a pretty young Doncaster team, we scored five and could have score five more.

“What are the benefits? The benefits are the running up and down, the playing of a game, yet it’s not really relevant to playing in a Championship match against big, physical men.

“The positive is that they got minutes, Ben and Joe scored a couple of goals, so it won’t do them any harm.”

With loan moves, other than to non-league clubs, not available outside of the summer and January transfer windows, Under-23s football is one of the ways of building up fitness for the club’s fringe players.

Another is to hold behind closed doors matches, and Mowbray said: “We do those every now and then. Damien arranges them for the young players who might not have as much game time for the Under-23s.

“When we have those games we might throw a few of the senior players in as you can control the situation. The referee will ask if you want to play three 30 minutes, two 45 minutes, or have a break every 20 minutes to talk and coach to them.

“I think they are beneficial, but it still doesn’t re-enact the crowd, the atmosphere, the adrenaline, the different level of footballer you play against, but it’s all part of the process of getting them fit, and keeping them fit, and be ready for when they are called upon.”