The 29-year-old winger has been a regular for John Eustace this season after overcoming two serious hamstring injuries. Hedges returned in pre-season and has stayed out of the treatment room.

The Welsh winger is a very popular figure in the dressing room at Ewood Park, having joined the club almost three years ago. That stay looks like it could be extended too with Hedges admitting last week he would like to stay.

Hedges is out of contract in the summer but has a one-year option to extend which the club can trigger. However, it's understood that the club have intimated their intentions to hand Hedges a new contract and negotiations will begin imminently.

It would be the first contract renewal handed out by Rovers since Adam Wharton signed a fresh five-year deal in December 2023. No first-team player has renewed in 2024 despite seven signing up in the 12 months before.

It's a positive step that Rovers are looking to sign Hedges on for several more years, with the suggestion a new deal could run until 2027, though terms are still to be ironed out. That would take Hedges up until he is 31.

Dom Hyam is in the same boat as Hedges in terms of his contract status. Rovers can keep the defender until 2026 by triggering his one-year option and there is no deadline they have to do that by, unless an overseas club tries to sign him on a pre-contract agreement in January.

However, his form this season has been a return to the levels that saw him win Player of the Year in his debut campaign. There have been no issues with a previously niggling ankle issue and so handing him fresh terms would be a logical move too.

Hyam will turn 29 by the end of the week but his fitness record and consistency has been outstanding since joining from Coventry City in 2022. Tying him down until 2027 also seems like a no-brainer on his current form.

Tyrhys Dolan, Arnor Sigurdsson, Danny Batth, Andi Weimann and Kyle McFadzean are the other senior players out of contract. Dolan's situation is well documented whilst Sigurdsson has been unable to stay fit.

The latter trio all penned one-year deals in the summer and their situations are likely to be assessed closer to the end of 2024/25. Batth has not put a foot wrong and has been a valuable addition to the squad whilst Weimann has also contributed.

The experience added to the group has been cited by the coaching staff and players as a major contributing factor to the upturn in form.

Lewis Travis, Sondre Tronstad and Callum Brittain all have deals until 2026.