"In hindsight, I should have brought in fresh legs for Blackburn," he said. "I have been in management a long time and perhaps I made a mistake. It was a match too far for us, there was no sparkle.
"I can make changes now. If the 11 who started against Blackburn think their position is cast in stone, they may be disappointed.
"Jeffers should be fit for Rochdale after his operation."
Danny Murphy had already cleared off the line from Paul Dickov before Brett Emerton headed Blackburn into a 41st-minute lead.
Charlton threatened an equaliser just once when Jonatan Johansson, in for hamstring victim Shaun Bartlett, was denied by Brad Friedel in the last seconds of the first half.
The last of Jeffers' three goals this season came in September but he could be one of the chief beneficiaries of Curbishley's new selection policy.
Yesterday's substitutes Bryan Hughes and Jason Euell are also welcoming the chance of a rare start.
"It's credit to the manager to own up that he might have made a mistake against Blackburn. We did look tired," said Hughes.
