Town boss Mick McCarthy says he’s still thinking about whether to add to his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, but believes younger fringe players such as Andre Dozzell, Adam McDonnell and James Blanchfield will have a part to play in the season ahead with emergency loans no longer available to EFL clubs.
"I think everybody’s the same, I think we’re all realising there are no emergency loans, so we need to have a good, healthy squad available,” McCarthy said.
"We were one of the teams to use the fewest players last season and that’s probably down to the fact that the back four was written in stone and the keepers only changed if it was through necessity, injury or whatever else happened.
"It was a pretty settled team and I prefer it that way. It’ll still be the same. Once you get in and you’re playing regularly it’s hard to get out of it unless you play really badly, that’s for certain.”"
He says further additions could be loans or permanent signings depending on who is available, but says his younger players will have a role to play as the rigours of the season take their effect in the months to come.
"We’ve got to utilise the younger players that are around if that’s the case,” he added. "To be fair, Dozzer’s come on and scored an equaliser at Sheffield Wednesday, I still think James Blanchfield is going contribute. Adam McDonnell will contribute, the young lads who have been in the team, Myles Kenlock and Josh Emmanuel, they’ll all contribute.
"They’re the ones who will be backing up the squad, the more experienced ones. And if we do get injuries, once we’ve gone past the deadline they’ll be the ones who’ll be picking up the pieces if necessary.”
The EFL Cup exit at the hands of Stevenage means the younger players won’t get the chance to gain some experience in further games in that competition.
"No, they’re going to have to be around here and play in the U23s,” McCarthy said. "They’ll have to get their football in elsewhere.”
Meanwhile, the Blues boss says 18-year-old midfielder Kundai Benyu, who has been on the first-team bench on four occasions without making his senior debut, is back in the fold having said that his attitude and approach needed to change if he was to have a future with Town early in pre-season.
"He’s come and apologised to me, and he had to do,” McCarthy said. "I’m not precious about myself but I don’t tolerate that kind of stuff.
"He’s done that and he’s showed willing, he’s trained hard and now he has to play well. He’s made his amends but he’s got to do it on the pitch and do it every day.”
Asked whether the issue was simply a lack of application, McCarthy added: "Things weren’t right.”