After Rovers published their retained list, here’s a look at their current centre back options.

 

There is a sense that Rovers have neglected their central defensive options in terms of the outlay on them.

Yes there have been the associated wages of free transfer deals, and loans that aren’t as straightforward as borrowing a player for nothing, but you have to go back to Shane Duffy in 2014 to find serious investment in that position.

The one constant since late in 2016 has been Darragh Lenihan, a mainstay in the backline, and the player that Mowbray has looked to mould his defence around. It has always been about finding a partner for Lenihan.

Since the Charlie Mulgrew partnership was broken up, Derrick Williams has had good spells in the side, but Tosin Adarabioyo on loan in 2019 and Daniel Ayala on a free transfer 12 months ago were seen as the solutions. But yet again Rovers head into a summer with uncertainty surrounding the heart of their defence.

Lenihan had dips in form throughout the season, penalties conceded including a red card at Brentford, and whether you could add in the lack of a settled backline as a caveat is up for debate.

Ayala’s fitness has been a real disappointment, a half hour outing on the final day ending a four-month injury absence for the Spaniard who reached 10 appearances in the process.

Injury also blighted Williams before his eventual departure in March, while Mulgrew’s time at the club has officially come to an end.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jarrad Branthwaite did what was asked of them, in trying circumstances, after arriving on loan in January, but there is plenty to consider for Rovers in that position this summer.

The first surrounds Ayala. Can Rovers pin their hopes on his and Lenihan’s partnership to be the one to help cut-out the cheap goals that continue to blight them?

Ayala has the experience, he has excellent positional sense, but does he have the physical attributes to cope with the high line Mowbray has looked to employ? Can he play on the left side of the two? How much can you rely on his fitness?

Then comes Scott Wharton, another homegrown option who impressed in his handful of appearances before injury ended his season in December. The hope is that Wharton will be back several weeks into the season, but after such a lengthy time out, and with a really serious injury, Rovers will need to work out a confident prediction on when he can be relied upon to be a first-team option.

Hayden Carter, also produced by the Rovers academy, couldn’t have had a more stunning impact on loan at League One side Burton Albion. His arrival coincided with a remarkable upturn in fortunes for the Brewers, the 21-year-old’s displays seeing him walk away as runner-up in the club’s player of the year vote despite his temporary status.

Mowbray is known to prefer his young centre halves to get loan games under their belt, Wharton did it for three seasons, and Rovers will weigh up in pre-season whether Carter is ready to challenge for a first-team berth, or would be better suited to another move out to the EFL.

So with question marks hanging over so many of their current options, it leaves Mowbray with a conundrum of where to go next.

Harwood-Bellis didn’t rule out a return to Ewood Park if all the stars aligned with Rovers’ priorities and Manchester City’s wishes, but there would be an expectation that in a second loan, that he would get plenty of game-time under his belt. And would another temporary fix be the right way to go about it? More pressing, is there the finance available for it to be anything but?

Lenihan, now 27, has taken on the captaincy, and his value to the team is clearly demonstrated by their results without him.

There hasn’t been the interest in him that was expected a couple of years ago, and the best thing Rovers can hope for with their defensive options is that Lenihan regains his top form.

He’s passed 200 games and with only Ayala and Johnson aged over 30 in the players Rovers currently have contracted for next season, a leadership void has been left, one there will be a reliance on Lenihan to help fill.

But Rovers find themselves in another predicament when it comes to their options, not helped by the injury status of Wharton who would otherwise be seen as a man to compete with Ayala and Lenihan as a first-choice option.

Rovers have left themselves short before in this area, but in January did something about it, rather than muddle through as they did previously.

They have a chance to avoid a recurring theme this summer.