Town boss Paul Lambert felt Idris El Mizouni’s full debut was the one bright spark he could take from Good Friday’s 4-0 defeat at Preston North End.
The 18-year-old central midfielder, who had made three senior sub appearances prior to Friday, started on the right of the front three before being replaced in the 59th minute.
"I thought he did well,” Lambert said. "It’s not his natural position but we don’t have any wide players, with Gwion being out injured [with a groin problem] and obviously Freddie [Sears] and Wardy [Grant Ward] and Jack [Lankester] all injured.
"I played Andre there at Brentford. Andre’s got a good chance of playing on Monday, so I gave Idris a go and he never let us down, he was the one bright spark.”
Alan Judge, who played on the other side of the front three, added: "It will have been a good experience for him. He got one or two tackles left on him which will show he needs to quicken up from U23s football.
"But he's a good, bright lad and this will only be good for him in the end. He still took the ball in positions where some people might hide.”
France-born El Mizouni's full debut capped an impressive season which saw him start in the U18s, progress to the U23s and win two caps for Tunisia's Olymic side, who play at U23 level.
In December he signed his first professional contract which runs to the summer of 2021 with the club having an option for a further year.
El Mizouni, who was previously with AS Meudon and AC Boulogne-Billancourt, cost the Blues £6,000 when he joined the academy as a full-time scholar in the summer of 2017.