Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has admitted that he has to look at bringing in another centre back in the January transfer window as his treatment room continues to fill up.

Rovers were downed 1-0 by Stoke City yesterday and they ended up having to play central midfielder Bradley Johnson at centre back which was far from ideal.

That was because Derrick Williams, Scott Wharton and Daniel Ayala all find themselves sidelined with injuries, the former two being worse than the latter.

Wharton ruptured his achilles a few weeks ago away at Brentford, whilst Williams will be out 'long-term' with a quadricep injury.

Ayala is expected to return soon however he's proven to be quite injury prone over the years, and even when he's fully-fit it leaves Mowbray with just the Spaniard and Darragh Lenihan to choose from, with youngster Hayden Carter seemingly unfancied.

So that leaves a January acquisition a must, and Mowbray has admitted he will be exploring the options available.

“We’re stretched in that position (centre back), there was a shout whether we would play Hayden Carter or whether we’d play Johnson," Mowbray told iFollow Rovers.

“We’ll have to explore the possibility of going into the market in January to bring in another centre half.

“Otherwise I’m not sure whether we’ll get through with Hayden Carter, for instance, who is a good prospect for us."

The Verdict

Mowbray's injury list in defence isn't just limited to his centre backs, with full back Joe Rankin-Costello also missing due to a hamstring problem.

But his options in the middle are a real concern, and it's of paramount importance that another is brought in during the transfer window.

Rovers may even re-visit their summer target Cedric Kipre, who they missed out on to Premier League side West Bromwich Albion in the summer but he's currently getting no game-time, but Mowbray has a few weeks to ponder his options before he makes a decision on who will be the man to arrive at Ewood Park.