Hayden Carter would be the only ‘surprise’ inclusion in Rovers’ side, according to Tony Mowbray, as his side face two possible dead-rubbers to finish their Championship season.

Reading arrive at Ewood Park assured of their Championship status and unable to break in to the top six, the same as Rovers whose play-off hopes were mathematically ended with defeat at Millwall on Tuesday.

Luton Town will hope there’s something riding on Rovers’ final day trip to Kenilworth Road, with Mowbray wanting his side to finish with six points to possibly secure a top 10 finish.

Ten players have started each of the last three matches, including five whose deals expire next Wednesday, but Mowbray doesn’t see anything but the inclusion of 20-year-old defender Carter, an unused substitute in every game since the re-start, as a surprise.

“I’ve got the players I’ve got, you’ve seen most of them, we’ve rotated them around, it’s not as though we’ve got lots of new players,” he said.

“You have to be careful about blooding new players if they’re not ready. I don’t think there’ll be any surprises for anyone out there.

“We could give Carter a game at some stage, we’ve all seen (John) Buckley, I’m not sure what the big surprises for the team would be.

“We have to play these two games, we’ve got to try and be as competitive as we can and get as many points as we can, and then the season’s end will be.

“There will be discussions about what we do moving forward, and then in a pretty short period of time the next season will start.”

Mowbray will meet with all of his squad next Thursday and Friday, with six players out of contract and Christian Walton and Tosin Adarabioyo seeing their respective loan spells end. Stewart Downing, Danny Graham and Dominic Samuel have started the last three games, but Mowbray says that doesn’t come with any guarantees of contract offers for next season.

Asked whether their contract status could come in to his thinking, Mowbray said: “My selection of the team might give them an indication, but if they want to come and see me before these games start then they can come and chat to me.

“I think those players who are out of contract know where my door is, I’m not sure I need to force those conversations.

“Will there be any influence on what the future is for those players? I think they’re still, for some of those players, that’s still a little bit up in the air.

“Maybe the owners were waiting to see if we would make the play-offs and now we can’t then maybe in the next day or two there might be a clearer picture of where we’re going to be and what we’re going to next season, and that could help make decisions on players.

“It’s not fair for me to sit here and tell you what I’m thinking before I’ve discussed it with those players. We’ll have those chats when the appropriate time is.

“I’ve got Thursday and Friday lined up for appraisals of every individual, so that will definitely be resolved then. If they want to have a chat before then, as I’ve always said, my door is always open.

“If they want to see if their agents should be ringing around and see what’s out there. I’m sure they’re already doing that, why wouldn’t you look at your options?”