Mowbray knows his side have more than one way of playing – allaying fears the condensed Championship schedule could affect Rovers’ all-action pressing game.

Rovers’ speed in attack, and all-round pressing game, have proven too much for Wycombe and Derby in their last two Championship fixtures where they have scored nine times without reply.

The squad is looking stretched in the early weeks of the season however, with Joe Rankin-Costello adding his name to an injury list that already included Lewis Travis, Corry Evans and Bradley Dack.

Sam Gallagher and Daniel Ayala are the closest first-team players to returning, which will be a boost to Mowbray’s numbers, with Rovers heading into the international break after the weekend game with Cardiff City. But with 13 rounds of midweek games, and a packed schedule upon their return from the second break, Mowbray is mindful of the effect on his players.

In their nine matches post-lockdown Rovers looked to be more patient in their approach play, dominating the ball and playing out from the back. In their three Championship fixtures so far they have been on the front foot, pressing teams high up the pitch, utilising their pace in the forward areas.

And Mowbray says the breakaway speed of Tyrhys Dolan, Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton could allow Rovers to play on the counter-attack, or with a more possession-based approach provided by the likes of Lewis Holtby in midfield, while still choosing their moments to play on the front foot.

The manager said: “What I have said to the team is that we don’t have to play on the front foot all of the time, because if you suck teams onto you, defend the edge of your box and you have Armstrong, Dolan and Brereton ready to run away and score goals, that’s not a bad way to win football matches as well.

“When teams go behind against us and push on, as long as you have your strikers in the right positions there’s lots of space for them to run into.”

Ryan Nyambe was left out against Wycombe based upon the physical data from matches against Bournemouth and Newcastle, as well as his susceptibility in recent times to hamstring injuries.

Rankin-Costello limped out of the Derby win with a hamstring problem, having been one of four players to start all five matches so far this season.

Asked if his side could operate in a similar style as they did at Derby across a 46-game season, Mowbray said: “I think the issue will come in the back-to-back three game weeks.

“Our data suggests the third game in any week has been the highest of any of them and shows that the team can maintain it for three games, whether they can maintain it for six games is another question.

“That’s why you’d have to have a squad, greater depth, so they understand that the standard is where it is and if they don’t reach it they won’t play.

“I think they’re enjoying what we’re asking of them, they’ve bought into it and we’ll see how far it takes us.”

Another positive for Rovers at the weekend was a second successive clean sheet, and first on the road since February. That will be a boost to goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, as he makes an assured start to life in Rovers colours, and the central defensive pairing of Derrick Williams and Darragh Lenihan.

Rovers played well, without reward, on the opening day at Bournemouth, beaten 3-2, with the hosts’ fine finishing proving their undoing, though Mowbray feels any accusations of his side being too adventurous are unfounded.

“The clean sheet was huge for the whole team, but more so the back four and the ‘keeper,” he said.

“It’s huge because it gives them the confidence and the knowledge that we’re capable of going anywhere in this league and keep clean sheets, as well as attack like we do.

“Sometimes, like in the Bournemouth game, where we scored two and could have ended up with more, we went and conceded three which ultimately lost us the game.

“That makes it easy for people to criticise the team and label them as ‘too adventurous’. I don’t think that’s the case, because we’re defending really well behind the ball when we’re attacking, and I think their efforts and the fact they put their bodies on the line, warranted a clean sheet.”