Tony Mowbray is focusing on Rovers’ defensive strengths, rather than the deficiencies, ahead of the trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

Rovers are again expected to field a makeshift backline at Hillsborough, four days on from a first clean sheet since January in the win over Wigan. No team has conceded more goals away from home than Rovers however, and a rejuvenated Wednesday side, unbeaten in 10 league matches, will provide a real test.

Owls boss Steve Bruce went with the towering figures of Steven Fletcher and Adthe Nuhiu in the midweek win over Bolton, while the Rovers defence on Tuesday included two wingers, full backs and debutant in Tyler Magloire.

“We have been practicing jumping on each other’s back and trying to get an extra few feet,” Mowbray joked. “If you are 5’11” and they are 6’5 then it’s difficult to dominate them in the air.

“I can talk about it, but people aren’t daft, everyone sends scouts to watch games and can see everyone’s Achilles heels, as we do.

“If we know that a boy is playing in a certain position then we play Danny Graham up against him and we’d have no embarrassment about playing balls on a diagonal to him.

“What our defenders need to know is they are playing up against bigger and stronger lads and that’s the challenge whether we can deal with it.

“I have to be positive, let’s keep them away from our goal. We have fantastic mobility in our backline at the moment with Nyambe and Magloire. Both are lightning fast, both strong and their great strength isn’t towering over people and heading the ball out. They have other qualities and if we can utilise them as a team and play in certain areas then they will find it difficult to get in behind and hurt us.”

Rovers won the reverse fixture 4-2 at Ewood in December. Since then, the Owls have replaced Jos Luhukay with Bruce who has guided them to within three points of the top six.

Mowbray added: “There are probably eight or nine of the same players but the manager has probably given them a new remit. They played a pretty basic 4-4-2 in their last game with Fletcher and Nuhiu up front against Bolton

“That suggests they go pretty direct, but they have lots of talent, Adam Reach, a player I know from my time at Middlesbrough, Barry Bannan is an exceptional player at this level.

“They’re a handful and will be a threat, particularly with the crowd roaring them on and the expectation that they are on the cusp of the play-offs with the run they have been on.

“It’s a great challenge for us and like all of these games we should go and enjoy them, have no fear, and see if we can get a positive result.”