Rovers will give their most promising youngsters a chance to impress in pre-season before a decision is taken on what is best for their development.

Tony Mowbray will see a number of Damien Johnson’s Under-23s squad, who finished fifth in Premier League 2 last season, travel with the senior side toAustria.

They will be given further opportunities to impress in the pre-season friendlies, despite the club having fielded calls about their availability.

Under-23s captain Tyler Magloire, midfielder John Buckley and attacker Dan Butterworth all made their first-team debuts last season and are the trio most likely to try and break in to Mowbray’s plans for the upcoming Championship campaign.

Defenders Scott Wharton and Joe Grayson have both had a taste of senior action, but finished the season out on loan, and will be among those aiming to impress the boss.

“I have told a few clubs that they will be staying with us for now,” said Mowbray.

Rovers resisted the temptation to allow a host of their prospects to leave on loan last season, with a number having struggled for game-time while away from the club.

That was rewarded by the likes of Magloire, Buckley and Butterworth getting game-time, as well as their development with the Under-23s seeing them finish the season in fine form.

Central defender Wharton, who hasn’t played for the first-team since December 2017, spent the first half of the season with Lincoln, where he finished the 2017/18 campaign, but was then recalled and loaned to Bury, helping them to promotion from League Two.

He is one of a clutch of young central defenders, along with Magloire, and Grayson, who enjoyed a run of games with Grimsby, to be tied down to long contracts and looking to force their way in.

Magloire took advantage of the absences of Wharton and Grayson to make his first-team debut in March, and whether or not to allow players to leave on loan will be a decision made in conjunction by Mowbray and Johnson.

“They will stay with us and we will see how they do,” Mowbray said.

“There will be a chance for them to impress and I don’t see a reason why they can’t look to push towards the first-team.”

Harry Chapman and Jacob Davenport both made their first senior appearances of the season and will be among those pushing for more of a role next season.

Striker Joe Nuttall had both loan and permanent interest in January, but stayed at Ewood after the club’s failure to add to their strikeforce.

A decision on the 22-year-old, who scored three times last season, will again likely to come down to the options Rovers are able to recruit over the summer.

While the Championship transfer window closes on August 8, the deadline for clubs in Leagues One and Two runs until August 31 - allowing decisions to be made once the new campaign is underway.

Others to finish the season out on loan were left back Sam Hart, who signed a 12 month extension to his deal in January, and Brad Lyons who spent time at St Mirren after his initial loan move to Rovers from Coleraine was made permanent in January.

The first team return to training today before flying out to Austria on Wednesday. The senior friendlies start at Barrow on July 6.