Ian Poveda remains a Rovers player and could yet feature for the club this season.

Rovers have continued to pay a portion of Poveda’s wages, despite him being back with parent club Leeds United to complete his rehabilitation after ankle surgery.

Poveda signed a season-long loan deal in August but talks were held last month over the prospect of cutting that cut short due to his injury status.

No timeframe was ever put on Poveda’s injury absence after fracturing his ankle in the November draw with Bristol City, only that it would rule him out for a ‘significant period of time’.

The 21-year-old has made good progress in his rehabilitation, but remains a way off match fitness, but Tony Mowbray confirmed he remains a Rovers player.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “That’s still rolling, we’re still paying that, he’s still one of our players but doing his rehab at Leeds which I’m fine with, it helps his living situation.

“As soon as he’s fit he’s still a contracted player to us and he’ll be back in our training situation.

“That’s still a fair way away from him playing football.

“I’m content that he’s at Leeds at the moment but that will change, maybe four to six weeks, let’s wait and see whether he can come back and have some impact later on.”

Poveda made his Rovers debut at Middlesbrough in August before starting the draw at Barnsley the following month.

However, he then had to wait six weeks before his next inclusion in the starting line-up which proved to be his best display in a Rovers shirt, scoring and claiming an assist in the 3-1 win over Sheffield United.

He made it back-to-back starts against Bristol City following the November international break, only for him to leave the pitch on a stretcher.

Those were part of his eight appearances in all for the club, though his loan status means he could yet add to that tally before the season is over.

With Leighton Clarkson having returned to Liverpool, but Jan Paul van Hecke and Reda Khadra set to see out the remainder of the season at Ewood Park, Rovers have three domestic loanees on their books.

Five loan players can be named in any matchday squad, with Deyovaisio Zeefuik becoming the fourth after the club secured his signing from Hertha Berlin.

Rovers will look to add to that number before the January 31 deadline.