Blues boss Mick McCarthy says he would like to have sent young left-back Myles Kenlock out on loan this season to gain more first team experience.
The 21-year-old made his 11th start of the season at left wing-back in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield United but looks set to drop out of the side for tomorrow’s visit from Hull City with Jonas Knudsen expected to be over his hamstring problem.
On the right Jordan Spence and Dominic Iorfa have vied for the other full-back or wing-back role all season and McCarthy would have liked to have seen similar competition on the left.
"What I would like is Myles to have given me that same problem, that I could toss a coin and they’d be equal, Jonas and Myles, although I thought Myles played well on Saturday,” the Town manager said.
"I think Jordan and Dom, it’s a tough old position that wing-back role and they’ve been pretty much equal, I think.”
McCarthy says Kenlock, who has now made 32 senior starts and two sub appearances without scoring, has made progress this season but might have made further strides if he’d been able to go out on loan.
"Of course he’s improved but we could have done with another left-back really so Myles could have gone out and played some football,” he added.
"There was a bit of interest and I think he could have gone and played some more games. He’s been back-up to Jonas and whenever he’s been called upon he’s done well.
"But 20 games in somebody’s team and let somebody else be the back-up, which we haven’t got, would have been perfect for him.”
South Londoner Kenlock is contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2019 with the club having an option for a further season.