Rovers have been hit with three more injuries this week as Tony Mowbray faces up to life without several first-team players.

Darragh Lenihan and Greg Cunningham both picked up knee injuries in the defeat at QPR and have been joined on the sidelines this week by Sam Hart (knee), Joe Grayson (hamstring) and Dominic Samuel (groin).

They join Ben Brereton (knee) on the injury list, with the striker two weeks away from action, Dan Butterworth who is not yet up to speed after a back problem, while Tyler Magloire underwent groin surgery last month that will rule him out until early 2020.

Lenihan will be out for eight weeks, with Cunningham’s injury signalling an end of his season-long loan spell from Cardiff.

Hart was in contention to be in his first Rovers matchday squad for 14 months, given Cunningham’s absence, but after only recently coming back from a hamstring injury, has picked up a knee problem in training that will be assessed.

Under-23s captain Joe Grayson was the next centre half in line with Lenihan out, but faces a couple of months out injured with a hamstring tear sustained in training on Wednesday. And Samuel, just a few weeks after returning to the fold after a long-term knee problem, also broke down in training.

Outlining his injury list, Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph: “Sam Hart has a patella injury, another injury on his knee, Dominic Samuel has picked up a groin strain in training. It’s football, it’s that time of the year.

“We’re trying to push them hard.

“I’ve touched on philosophy and where we’re trying to take the club, we want to be stronger and fitter so the training has been tough and we’re pushing these players extremely hard to make sure they are strong, robust and can fight and play at the intensity I want them to play at.

“It feels at the minute like we’re going through a period where the lads who are coming back from injuries or not been doing the same work are finding it tough and they’re breaking down because the training has been hard for them.

“But I do believe the benefits will be seen in the long-term and we’ll become a more athletic and robust team that can push right to the end in games.

“Dominic’s isn’t a long-term injury, just one from pushing him hard in the international break to try and get him up to speed with everyone else.

“We’re trying to get them ready to play in our team.”

Captain Elliott Bennett is a yellow card away from a one match ban that could open the door to Ryan Nyambe who wasn’t part of the QPR matchday squad but will return this weekend.

The 21-year-old is also an option at centre half, having done so for his country, Namibia, during the summer.

“We have Nyambe who can fill in, he’s played centre back in the Africa Cup of Nations. He has some experience of doing that,” Mowbray added.

“Unfortunately Joe Grayson has picked up a pretty bad hamstring injury in training this week. He will be missing for quite a considerable amount of time.

“Fingers crossed for our centre halves that we have available, but if Nyambe is required then he’s ready to play central defence.

“Bennett is a booking away from a suspension so we’re working him really hard to make sure he’s fit and raring to go when his time comes, and that will be sooner rather than later.

“This is why you have a squad of players.”

Rovers have a host of young players vying for spots in Mowbray’s squad who all turned out for the Under-23s in their Premier League Cup game at Crystal Palace.

Midfielder John Buckley has been an ever present in the matchday squad this season, but the 20-year-old hasn’t had any game-time in the last three matches.

And after discussions with the boss, travelled down to Crystal Palace, with Joe Rankin-Costello, Jacob Davenport and Harry Chapman all involved as well.

“My conversations with John, as they are with Chapman and Rankin-Costello and Davenport, I’m wary of another Willem Tomlinson scenario, sub every week, not getting on, not playing any football and then not playing for the Under-23s,” the boss said.

“You can get out of shape, it’s okay training and working, sprinting and doing laps of the pitch, but football is what gets you football fit.

“As I’ve said to all the young players, you need games, you need to play minutes, and when you’re needed as the injuries pile up, or you get an opportunity to be in the team, you have to be ready.

“It’s no good after the event saying that you hadn’t played for four weeks and you felt it was a tough, a bit rusty.

“I feel they have to play football, even if it’s a long trip to Crystal Palace. It was a decision we made together, I gave them my thoughts and they all knocked on the door and said they wanted to play.

“I’m delighted they have that mentality they want to play.”