Blackburn Rovers have endured a frustrating couple of weeks ahead of the international break, having got themselves up into tenth place in the league with a 2-1 win at Reading, before picking just a point from their last three league games including a 4-2 defeat at Queens Park Rangers last time out.

Tony Mowbray’s side's defeat at QPR was compounded by defender Greg Cunningham, who is on loan from fellow Championship side Cardiff City, having to be taken off after just 17 minutes and replaced with Amari’i Bell having picked up a knee injury in the opening exchanges at Loftus Road.

Cunningham has returned to parent club Cardiff and had a scan on his knee to assess the damage that has occurred and determine how long he is likely to be out for, which will rule him out of the Republic of Ireland squad ahead of forthcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Rovers could suffer a real loss if Cunningham’s injury means he has to cut short his loan spell at Ewood Park and return to Cardiff to rehabilitate his knee for the net few months of the campaign, and will therefore be hopeful the problem is not too serious.

Here, though we take a look at three reasons Blackburn’s anxious wait will be concerning Mowbray…

Cunningham’s positive impact

Cunningham has been a reliable and impressive performer straight away at Ewood Park since arriving from Cardiff, with the left-back earning a place in Mowbray’s side ahead of Bell and starting eight of their opening eleven league matches.

The 28-year-old has helped to tighten up Blackburn’s defence in the opening weeks of the campaign, with the defender a key part in Rovers’ run of four clean sheets in five matches from mid-August to mid- September which helped Mowbray’s side push up the league table.

Therefore, the loss of Cunningham so soon into the season could be a real potential blow for Rovers’ hopes of building on a solid start to the campaign, and it would be a shame if Mowbray’s side were not able to benefit from having the left-hand side of their defence improved from last season for long period of time this campaign.

Blackburn’s poor form defensively on their travels

Blackburn conceded 48 league goals away from Ewood Park in 23 matches last season, but had shown signs of improvement in that regard in the opening weeks of the campaign, which is something that Cunningham’s experience has managed to help improve and stop them leaking goals away from home.

Apart from conceding three goals at West Bromwich Albion, Rovers’ defence on their travels had looked reasonably solid until Saturday, but following Cunningham being withdrawn Mowbray’s side shipped four goals with their usual defensive shape being picked apart too easily by QPR’s attack.

That is something which will be alarming for Mowbray and he will be concerned that Cunningham’s absence from the left-hand side of defence could leave Blackburn too open at the back away from home again during the rest of the campaign.

Unsettling the back four

Blackburn's back four of Elliott Bennett, Darragh Lenihan, Derrick Williams and Cunningham has been largely settled so far this season, and Rovers have benefitted from that going on a run of keeping four clean sheets in five matches between mid-August and mid-September which helped the club climb the table and push nearer to the play-offs.

However, Cunningham's injury will mean Mowbray will have to alter his defence and bring in Bell, who can do a solid job at left-back but as was evident against QPR disrupting the relationship between the back four meant that too many gaps opened up and were exploited by the hosts.

Mowbray will be hopeful that Cunningham's injury is not too bad and that he can recover and still come back to Ewood Park and play a part in the rest of their season, but if he is unable to do so then the Rovers boss will need to find a way of making his defence tighter again with Bell at left-back.