Jacob Davenport returned to first-team training this week but boss Tony Mowbray says the midfielder is still some way from a return to action.

Davenport sustained ankle ligament damage in a behind closed doors game with Macclesfield seven weeks ago and has worked his way back to fitness.

It has been a frustrating 12 months for the 20-year-old who only made his debut for Rovers on the final day of last season against Swansea City.

He picked up a hip injury last pre-season before a groin injury in November threatened to rule him out for the rest of the campaign.

The former Manchester City man became a regular for the Under-23s  earlier in the calendar year before getting his opportunity for the senior side, and Mowbray has stressed caution with his latest comeback.

“Jacob is a lad who’s had a long, long injury, played some games and then within five or six weeks he had another injury,” he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“We just have to be careful with Jacob I would suggest.

“He has to play some Under-23s football again and get his confidence up again.

“He needs to get used to playing in the middle of midfield, getting tackled. I’ve said to him before we have to make him robust and that’s what I feel we have to do.

“In training, there’s no protecting him, Richie Smallwood and Travis are tackling him, it’s competitive, so he has to get through the next couple of weeks, keeping his body strong.”

Davenport, who signed a four-year deal with the club last summer, played 10 times for the Under-23s last season and is set to be given more game-time with the Academy side to push his claims for a first-team recall.

Despite his injury troubles, Mowbray is an admirer of Davenport’s talent, making him his second summer signing last year, and is looking forward to having him available once again.

The boss added: “I like him as a footballer, I watch him in training and he’s moving the ball around the pitch, a lovely left foot, but since he’s signed he’s not been able to stay fit for a great length of time.

“That’s been upsetting for him and frustrating for us as well.”

Like Davenport, Dominic Samuel is on the comeback trail from injury and has played three times for the Under-23s so far, scoring twice in the win at Brighton last week.

Tosin Adarabioyo, on loan from Manchester City, also began training with the squad on Saturday having not been involved since his debut at Fulham on August 10.

The 21-year-old will hope to push his claims for a recall when Rovers return to Championship action after the international break when they host Millwall on September 14.

Left-back Sam Hart is another player back in training, having played for the Under-23s in recent weeks, after overcoming a hamstring injury sustained in the pre-season win against Mansfield.