Blues boss Paul Lambert says there's no pressure on midfielder Emyr Huws to rush back into his first-team this season, despite the Wales international having played his first 60 minutes for the U23s in the 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the week.
"I think the big thing for me was hopefully there’s no adverse reaction to his knee,” he said. "There’s no pressure from me whatsoever for Emyr to rush back this season.
"This kid has got to be nurtured along and make sure that knee doesn’t flare up and doesn’t hold him back, so I’m not in any rush, the most important thing is his welfare and his health and he can stay in games.”
He says the 25-year-old will play more U23s games in the weeks to come: "Absolutely, anyone who thinks otherwise is crazy because the lad has been out since [December] 2017 or whatever it is.
"It’s too long and dangerous, nearly two years out is a helluva long time to get back so we’ll look after him and see how he does.”
He admits that given the Huws’s time out it’s difficult to put the midfielder, who he has said he rates very highly, at the heart of his plans going forward.
"It’s difficult,” he reflected. "I can’t predict the future and what’s going to happen with him and we have to monitor him every single day in every single training to make sure that knee doesn’t keep flaring up.
"It’s hard for him because of the emergence of Idris, Bishop, Downes and Dozzell and if you miss two years of football more or less then these young guys are catching you all the time.
"What Emyr’s got I think is a terrific passing range of the ball and what I think is hindering him at the minute is, is he as robust as the kids coming through at the minute? No, because of his knee.
"But I hope he gets back to what he was because he was a hell of a player before he got injured but there no pressure from me or no strain on him to push for this season.
"I think next season, pre-season, if he can sustain that and not miss any sessions then there must be a good chance that he’s going to be OK. If he breaks down and these sort of things, then it becomes difficult.”