Andri Gudjohnsen's return to training on Thursday handed Tony Mowbray his first real cause for optimism in weeks. The Iceland striker had carried Blackburn Rovers through their opening five Championship fixtures, logging 418 minutes before injury removed him from the equation entirely. His absence on Tuesday forced Mowbray to deploy Jayden Fevrier as a false nine in a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United, a match that underlined just how thin the squad has become.

Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire that the situation is beginning to turn. "It's starting to improve and starting to get better," he said. Gudjohnsen could feature against Millwall at Ewood Park on Saturday (15:00), while Moussa Baradji may be fit enough to appear off the bench for the first time this season.

The prospect of senior options late in a game matters more than it might seem. Mathias Jorgensen and Yuki Ohashi remain sidelined for another few weeks, which has left Mowbray relying on academy players to influence results from the bench. "It would be nice to have some more senior players to try and change a game late on," he said, "as opposed to hoping a young boy comes on and does something quite special."

That caveat matters given Rovers' recent form. One point from their past four Championship games has left them four points and ten places behind Saturday's opponents Millwall, who currently sit eighth. The table makes uncomfortable reading for a squad that came into the season with genuine ambitions.

Mowbray is reluctant to accept the points tally as a fair reflection of his team's performances, but he acknowledged the argument has a limit. "We know we need to find a result," he said. "We can't keep thinking the team is playing quite well but we're getting beat again or drawing again. I think we are better than the results have suggested the last couple of games and deserved more from them, but the reality is you have to win matches and get points."

Ito deal looks dead

There was less encouraging news on the transfer front. Rovers had moved close to signing Japan international Ryotaro Ito, a 28-year-old midfielder who spent last season in Belgium, and the player was reportedly at the club on Monday. According to Mowbray, however, the deal now looks unlikely to be completed.

"I'm not really sure what's happened," he said. "At this moment there's nothing happening. I genuinely don't know but, my experience would suggest to me that it's not going to happen now."

The collapse of a free-agent deal at this stage is a significant blow for a manager who had flagged the need for reinforcements weeks ago. "I asked for help a few weeks ago," Mowbray noted, "and the club are trying to put some players in the building to help us." The Ito situation suggests that effort has not yet produced results, leaving the squad stretched at exactly the moment when the fixture list demands more.

Millwall the immediate test

Saturday's home fixture against Millwall arrives at a critical juncture. Three successive league defeats would apply real pressure to a group already managing injuries and a narrow squad, but the potential returns of Gudjohnsen and Baradji give Mowbray options he has not had recently. Whether those two are fit enough to influence a match from the first whistle or only from the bench will shape his selection decisions considerably.

Rovers need a performance that translates into points. The Championship table does not reward moral victories, and with Jorgensen and Ohashi still weeks away, Mowbray knows the core group available to him now must deliver before reinforcements arrive.

Frequently asked

Is Andri Gudjohnsen fit to play for Blackburn this weekend?
Gudjohnsen returned to training on Thursday and Mowbray has said he hopes the striker can feature against Millwall on Saturday, though his involvement is not yet confirmed.
Why did the Ryotaro Ito transfer to Blackburn fall through?
Mowbray said he does not know the specific reason, but with the Japan midfielder having visited the club on Monday and no deal completed, the Blackburn manager believes the move will not now happen.
How many points have Blackburn taken from their last four Championship games?
Rovers have taken just one point from their past four Championship fixtures, leaving them four points and ten places below Saturday's opponents Millwall.