Blues boss Paul Lambert says recent loan signing Josh Earl has settled in well but realises he may have to wait for his debut with Town in a decent run of form.
The 21-year-old joined the Blues on a half-season loan from Preston North End last week and was on the bench for the games at Oxford and Tranmere without making it on to the field.
"I think he knows [he might have to bide his time] because obviously, the team has been going well,” Lambert said.
"But training-wise and the way he’s settling in I think has been really really good, and I’m sure he’ll get a chance at it. But I think he’ll be the first to recognise the team’s done well since he’s been in. I'm really pleased how he’s fitted in.”
Lambert says Preston boss Alex Neil will be aware of the situation and won’t put the club under any pressure to involve his player.
"No, I don’t think so,” the Blues manager continued. "I think when any manager does that and looks over and sees what another manager is doing with their player, if the team’s going well then it’s difficult to change it, and I think every manager knows that.
"Equally so, if the team isn’t doing well and he’s not getting a chance, then you can maybe say ‘What’s going on?’. But at the minute the team is going really well.”
Lambert says Earl, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Bolton, has impressed him in training.
"Yes, very good,” he said. "A really good left foot, really happy with him. Just biding his time, I guess but football-wise and ability-wise very, very good.”
Earl was primarily a left-back at Preston but latterly played at centre-half at Bolton and Lambert says he and his staff have been schooling him in Town’s current system with the two wider centre-halves overlapping from a back three.
"We’ve showed him bits of the way we’re playing obviously, and he’s trained with it really well,” he said. "I think it suits him being a left-footer on that side, so I’m really happy with how he’s fitted in.”
Meanwhile, Lambert has had praise for the man at the centre of that back three in recent weeks, James Wilson, who will face his old club Lincoln on Saturday.
"He’s been excellent, Wilson, he really has,” Lambert enthused. "I think he’s done a really good job.
"That lad came in with no pre-season under his belt at all and played most of the season for us, and he’s been excellent. Really quiet lad, unassuming, but dear oh dear he goes about his job really well.”