Rovers Under-23s captain Joe Grayson has made his long-awaited return to training after 10 months out.

The defender has been sidelined since late October with a hamstring problem which required surgery.

Grayson made his second Rovers start in the Carabao Cup win over Oldham in August, and made five more appearances for the Under-23s in Premier League 2 before injury struck during the October international break.

The 21-year-old has another year to run on his contract at Ewood Park and is one of a clutch of young players looking to break in to Tony Mowbray’s first-team squad on a regular basis.

Grayson wasn’t loaned out in last summer’s window, having finished the 2018/19 campaign at League Two side Grimsby Town, as fellow central defenders Matty Platt, Tyler Magloire and Scott Wharton were all allowed to leave.

Posting on social media about his return, Grayson wrote: “First session in 10 months, felt so good to be back. Missed it so much but time to kick on now ready for next season.”

Grayson is yet to appear for Rovers in a Championship matchday squad, but made his debut in last season’s EFL Cup win over Lincoln City at Ewood Park.

He played eight times for the Mariners during his loan spell in League Two, and will return to the senior set-up in pre-season where he will compete alongside Magloire, Platt, Wharton and Hayden Carter for a central defensive berth.

Carter has pushed his name to the forefront of Mowbray’s mind by being injury free, and training regularly with the first-team squad since first being part of a matchday squad at Charlton in February.

He made nine more appearances in a matchday squad before making his senior debut in the weekend win over Reading, and looks set to keep his place for the final game at Luton Town.

Grayson is one of a number of Rovers youngsters who have endured an injury-hit campaign, with attacker Dan Butterworth, highly-rated at the club, having struggled with two separate back issues across the course of the campaign.

He was restricted to just six Under-23s appearances this season, scoring four times. He will be  back in time for pre-season however, and look to put himself in contention for some senior action next season.