Monday would have marked a return to training for Rovers for the first time in two-and-a-half weeks, but in the ever-changing climate of the coronavirus threat, that is now on hold.

Tony Mowbray revealed to the Lancashire Telegraph last month how the club, who have closed the Senior Training Centre at Brockhall, had planned for the squad to take part in fitness sessions at the training ground, without the need to use the facilities.

Those plans are the latest to be shelved by the club who continue to follow Government advice and guidelines on how best to deal with the COVID-19 threat.

Rovers haven’t played since the defeat to Derby County on March 8, with their last training session coming on March 13 when matches were first suspended by the EFL.

Midfielder Bradley Johnson admits it has been something of a pre-season since, with the club having tasked the players with individual programmes to work to until more is known of when games could re-start again.

“We were due to go back on March 30, the club had a plan to segregate us, we weren’t going back all together, going in in groups of five,” he explained.

“Five in the morning, not going in to the training ground, going in wearing our own training gear, meeting up on the pitch and then do a session.

“Obviously it would be a no-contact session, just running, for us it will be like another pre-season again.”

“You have to keep yourself fit and healthy, I enjoy running, when you’re out there you can clear your mind and when you come back you feel better for it.”

A summer signing from Derby, Johnson still lives in the Midlands and commutes to East Lancashire, as well as staying after training on occasion to break up the travelling.

So he admits having extended time with his family is something he is enjoying, but the buzz of getting back playing again is never far from his mind.

When that may be remains up in the air, with home schooling, dog walking, and following his training programme the focus for now.

He added: “I’m enjoying it, the kids are loving it because with me living in Derby and playing for Blackburn I travel a lot, and stay up there a lot, so I don’t get to see them much, so it’s good to see them.

“But then again I miss playing football. There’s only so much you can do by yourself.

“We’ve been given programmes, which we do in the off season, but it’s a bit different in the off season because you’re on holiday, you can go away, or you can go and see your family.

“This is a bit different because you have to be locked in your house. You can only go running once a day, it’s hard, but I’m enjoying being with the family seeing my kids every day, but I can’t wait to get back playing football.”

Johnson failed to feature in 10 of Rovers’ 12 Championship games between October and December 11, but a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win over Bristol City has proved to be something of a turning point.

With Corry Evans’ unfortunate injury halting his season the following month, Johnson has been a beneficiary of that, involved in all but two matches since his man-of-the-match display at Ashton Gate.

That included an injury-time equaliser against Swansea City last month, and the midfielder, who believes an extended run in the side is key to returning him to his early season form, says the break came at a bad time personally.

“That’s the frustrating thing that it’s stopped like this,” he said on the latest episode of the Counter Attack podcast.

“I got back in the team, done pretty well, and stayed in the team for a run of games.

“I feel in myself that the more games I play the better I feel, I’ve done that, and for it to stop, for me on a personal note I was gutted, but you can’t look at it like that.

“I was in some good form and need to keep ticking over and hopefully hit the ground running when we start again.”

Having been involved in the Championship play-offs in four of the last five seasons, Johnson is hoping Rovers can get in the top six mix when games resume.

“I’ve been in the play-offs many times and it’s a lottery," he said.

“Form and where you finish in the league goes out of the window, all that counts is what happens on that day and when you get in the play-offs nothing matters. All four teams have got a chance of going up.”