The 23-year-old Australian put in a full shift in defence, helping keep their fourth consecutive league clean sheet and grab a share of top spot in the Championship alongside Southampton and Derby County.

"Rhys Williams has been vomiting this morning, he's got flu-like symptoms, he's got a temperature and can hardly breathe,” Mowbray said.

"The doctor was advising him not to play but after a conversation with him he's gone out there and been part of a defence that's kept a clean sheet.

"It's great credit to them that they played."

Socceroo Scott McDonald started and played 61 minutes but couldn't help his side find a breakthrough goal.

Meanwhile, in China's Super League, Joel Griffiths was a 64th-minute substitute as Beijing Guoan only managed a 1-1 draw at Shandong Luneng meaning runaway leaders Guangzhou Evergrande claimed the title with four games to play.

Guangzhou, who beat Dino Djulbic's Shaanxi Chanba 4-1 earlier in the day, have an unassailable league lead of 14 points with four games to play from second-placed Guoan.

In Japan's J.League Cup, Alex Brosque and Eddy Bosnar played full games as Shimizu S-Pulse were knocked 4-3 on aggregate following a 3-1 loss to Albirex Niigata.

Elsewhere, Matt Spiranovic put in a full shift as Urawa Reds won 2-1 at Omiya Ardija to complete a 4-1 aggregate victory and now face Cerezo Osaka in the quarter-finals.