Derrick Williams is set to be out for another week after illness put back his comeback from a calf injury.

The defender has missed the last two matches at Charlton and Brentford with his second calf problem of the season, but Tony Mowbray had hoped to welcome the Republic of Ireland international back to training this week.

However, illness has set the 26-year-old back, with a return to training now set for Monday.

That will rule Williams out of back-to-back home games with Stoke City and Swansea City, with Hayden Carter set to keep his place in the matchday squad as defensive cover.

Rovers will be keen to have Williams back in the reckoning as soon as possible though, with defender Darragh Lenihan one yellow card away from a two match suspension. Lenihan would need to go three matches without another booking to avoid serving a ban.

“I think Derrick’s plan is to train on Monday,” Mowbray said, “so another week.

“It’s a second re-occurrence of a calf injury over the term of the season. He’s had some issues with that part of his body.

“We have to be mindful that he might well be needed so if he needs another week then we’ll give him that.

“There was a potential he could train this week but he has had an illness so missed three or four days with illness and hasn’t been in the building. He’s back now and let’s wait and see.”

Williams hasn’t started in the Championship since the home matches with Wigan and Birmingham over the festive period, with Lenihan and Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo striking up a strong understanding in the heart of the defence.

“Ultimately for Derrick with the central defenders doing okay at the moment it’s not a position with an urgency and if he needs those few extra days we’ll give him those and hopefully he’ll be back on the grass on Monday,” Mowbray added.

“That’s the situation we are in, and it was pleasing that Darragh came through a tough away game on Saturday without getting booked playing against such an attacking team.

“If Darragh gets booked and gets his suspension and gets booked then that’s part and parcel of football and we have to deal with it.

“Derrick will be ready very soon and if required hopefully he’ll come in and do the job.”

Meanwhile, Joe Rothwell is in with a chance of returning to the matchday squad for tomorrow’s visit of Stoke City.

Rothwell has been out since the win over QPR last month with a hamstring injury but is now back training.

Sam Gallagher returned after two matches out with a groin problem at Brentford, and despite not training on Monday because of a sore back, should be ready to face the Potters at Ewood Park.

“I’m pretty sure it will be a similar squad,” Mowbray said.

“I think Rothwell will be back on the grass, let’s wait and see, he’s just about ready which is a positive for us. Whether he makes it, we’ll have to wait and see.

“Gallagher came back at the weekend and seems to have got through it okay, he didn’t train on Monday because he had a sore back.

“When players have been out and are thrown back in it can sometimes bring out the knocks and the niggles that they’ve got.

“We’ll be careful with him.

“Rothwell is just about there, Gallagher and Rankin-Costello are just about there, back training, whether they’re ready to play we’ll wait and see.”