Blues boss Paul Hurst felt left-back Jonas Knudsen put in a very solid first appearance in Town’s 1-0 win against the MK Dons on Tuesday, the Danish international’s first game for his new manager following his return to the club after his post-World Cup break.
"I thought he had a very solid first appearance with myself as manager, used his experience well and looked nice and steady and assured back there,” Hurst said.
"He does need to do that. I don’t know if it came across as almost a threat [when I said on Saturday], people could take it however they want, I don’t particularly care if I’m honest, but just because he’s been to a World Cup he can’t just come back and think, ‘I should be in the team’.
"Myles Kenlock has been working hard, he scored the goal which turned out to be the winner at Barnet and has put in some good performances, so that’s the sort of competition I want and the dilemma of who is to start. But it was certainly a good first appearance under myself.”
While Hurst already has two left-backs, Scunthorpe chairman Peter Swann confirmed that the Blues had had a bid for another, Conor Townsend, rebuffed earlier in the week, an offer understood to be £400,000.
"If he said it then it must be true!” Hurst responded when quizzed on Swann’s comments.
Asked further whether interest in Townsend might be linked with interest in either Knudsen or Kenlock, Hurst added: "I think I’ve said I just want good players here, so if I can add competition and feel it’s something that will benefit us then that’s what I’ll try and do for this football club.”
The Blues boss says he’s yet to speak to Knudsen about his future with the 25-year-old out of contract at the end of the season.
"Since he’s been back, I wasn’t there [on Monday], I was at the managers’ meeting over in Walsall, so we kind of met face to face as he was getting on the coach,” he said.
"I was thinking, ‘Who’s that lad walking up to get on?’, I thought we’d signed someone I wasn’t aware of then realised who it was!
"We spoke in the summer about when he was going to return. I don’t feel there’s a conversation to be had at this moment in time.
"Again, if he sees it that he’s in the last year of his contract and he thinks he’s going to start looking elsewhere, then I can’t do anything about that. I might not want him.
"At the minute, he’s got to prove himself, all the lads in there have got to prove themselves still, even if at this moment in time I’m not going to make an absolutely definitive decision on who I would like long-term and who I won’t on the basis of some pre-season games because we all know when the season gets under way some will naturally improve, some might drop.
"Pre-season’s great to get minutes in their legs and to try and get some ideas about how we want to play but there’s no pressure around the games realistically and that’s what has to come into account when we get into the league action.”