Tony Mowbray says there has been “no change” in Danny Batth’s situation after the defender missed Sunderland’s opener against Ipswich.

Rovers hold interest in the experienced defender, who won the Player of the Year award at the Stadium of Light last season.

Mowbray has admitted he cannot guarantee Batth a place in his starting line-up over the coming campaign.

However, he plans to give the 32-year-old some minutes against Crewe in the opening round of the Carabao Cup.

"There's no change,” Mowbray told Chronicle Live. "He'll play on Tuesday night. Let's wait and see if the phone rings, let's see how it goes.

"I think at this moment we are going with (Daniel) Ballard and (Luke) O'Nien and they look fine. It's just competition really."

Mowbray’s side kicked off the new season with a 2-1 defeat against newly-promoted Ipswich at the weekend despite Dan Neil’s late goal.

Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst were both on target for the Tractor Boys, while Sunderland youngster Trai Hume was sent off for a second bookable offence 18 minutes from time.

Mowbray added: “You have to put the ball in the net when the chances come and I don’t want to keep banging the drum, but we need more options and the club are trying really hard to do that.

“We are putting bids in. To find strikers worldwide is really difficult - as huge clubs in the Premier League are finding.

“Hopefully, there will be some more attacking options in the squad in the next week or two, then they’ll have to settle in.

“I think we’ll get stronger. In six or seven weeks, hopefully we have Ross Stewart down the middle, Bradley Dack might be playing off him. There’s enough there to say we’ll be fine.”