Dan Pike and Connor McBride will be part of Rovers’ squad for the midweek visit of Watford.

Sam Gallagher won’t feature because of bruising on the lung sustained in the weekend defeat at Nottingham Forest, while Tony Mowbray said he was yet to make a call on the fitness of Ryan Nyambe.

The full back sustained a hamstring injury late on at the City Ground, though the club revealed that wasn’t as bad as first feared.

With Darragh Lenihan, Joe Rankin-Costello, Lewis Holtby and Bradley Johnson not ready to make their returns to injury, Mowbray has revealed the club have taken the option of adding Pike and McBride to their first-team options.

Right back Pike has been on the bench before, for the win at Birmingham City in January, and while he is yet to make his first team debut, has impressed with his displays for the Under-23s.

McBride, a summer signing from Celtic, took his tally to 10 goals in 13 appearances, and the loss of Gallagher will see the Scot added to the first-team party.

Rovers are able to make nine substitutes, with the pair both competing to make the bench for the visit of Watford.

Asked about the prospect of any players returning for tomorrow night, Mowbray said: “They are closer than last week, but they’re not close enough.

“We’ve called Dan Pike into the squad, he’ll be with us, we’ve called Connor McBride into the squad, so he’ll be with us.

“But I’m not sure anyone else is joining.”