Cantwell's Blackburn return 'a waiting game'

Blackburn Rovers head coach Valerien Ismael has said it is a waiting game as to whether captain Todd Cantwell will return to the squad this weekend at Wrexham.

The former Norwich and Rangers playmaker has missed Rovers' past eight matches after a kick on the knee in the 1-1 draw with Stoke in early October.

"We will see. We have to wait," Ismael told BBC Radio Lancashire. "Every day's training session he makes, he gives feedback, and at the minute, touch wood, he's had three or four sessions in a row, which is the first time since a long period of time.

"Before that it was one session, pain, out for two days, another try and another pain. So this is a good sign, so we will see if it will be enough for Wrexham."

Rovers are currently without goalkeeper Balasz Toth, defenders Hayden Carter and Scott Wharton, midfielder Sondre Tronstad, and forward Augustus Kargbo, as well as Cantwell.

"We need all the players," Ismael added. "We built the squad with some key players that are very important, and Todd is the captain; he's one of them.

"You see that we are able to win without him, but in the long run, at some point you will need all of the best players you can get because you look completely different when you play with your best players, your best team.

"Even if he's coming back, he won't be ready to start a game for a long period of time, especially when we have got that schedule, so we will see how we can integrate him throughout the game to give him some minutes."