BLACKBURN Rovers will check on the fitness of defenders Derrick Williams and Gordon Greer ahead of this weekend’s trip to Rotherham United.

Williams failed a fitness test on his hamstring ahead of Saturday’s vital win over QPR, while Greer was forced off in the second half.

That saw a re-shuffle in the back four, with Jason Lowe drafted in at left-back, before Charlie Mulgrew, himself just back from injury, slotted in at centre half after Greer’s substitution.

Left-back Williams had played every minute of every game for Rovers since November 19, but saw his 14 game run come to end on Saturday.

Manager Owen Coyle says the 24-year-old will be given every chance to feature at the New York Stadium on Saturday, with Rovers short of options in the left-back area.

“He felt his hamstring late on in the game against Leeds,” Coyle said of Williams.

“He came out and wanted to be part of the game against QPR, did a fitness test before the game, but had no explosion when he tried to move off and thought the hamstring could tear.

“We didn’t want to take that chance, hopefully he can be fit for Rotherham, we will certainly give him every chance.”

It had been expected that Mulgrew, as he did during Williams’ last injury absence, would fill in at left-back against QPR.

But Coyle was keen to see the Scot continue in central midfield, and instead moved captain Lowe from the middle of the park to the left-hand side of the Rovers defence.

Mulgrew had missed the FA Cup win over Blackpool with a hamstring injury, but returned to play the full 90 minutes against both Leeds and QPR within the space of three days.

Any plans of substituting 30-year-old Mulgrew on Saturday ended when Greer was forced off with a hip injury, and he will be assessed before a decision is made on his fitness ahead of the Rotherham clash.

“Greer was injured,” Coyle said when asked about the defender’s departure.

“He was stretching off from the start of the second half, he had a little pain in his hip, so we will have to look at that going forward.

“Charlie was out on his feet as well after the injury that he’s had and coming back against Leeds.

“I couldn’t take him off though as we needed to slot him back in to centre half.”

Central midfielder Hope Akpan replaced Greer on Saturday, allowing Mulgrew to drop in to central defence, having missed the Leeds defeat with a foot injury.

Rovers are unlikely to welcome any of their longer-term injuries back for the Rotherham game, with Tommie Hoban, Elliott Ward, Adam Henley and Corry Evans all still sidelined.