Assistant manager Stuart Taylor says midfielder Jon Nolan has been superb since returning for pre-season and has been excelling in the Blues’ engine room alongside Andre Dozzell and Teddy Bishop since the campaign proper got under way.
Nolan, 28, appears to have benefited from Flynn Downes’s absence with the Crystal Palace target having appeared likely to start alongside his fellow academy products but for being given a few days off ahead of the season opener, the Carabao Cup tie against Bristol Rovers which the Blues won 3-0.
Ex-Shrewsbury man Nolan, Dozzell and Bishop have been among the outstanding performers for the Blues in their first three fixtures with the Liverpudlian netting his first goal of the campaign in the 2-1 EFL Trophy loss to Arsenal’s U21s.
"I think Nolo has been superb coming back from pre-season,” Taylor said. "Even games last season and when we first came in in the Championship he was really effective in how he went about his job.
"But I think he's happy going under the radar because of his personality. He's quite quiet, he just comes in and does his work but very very influential and effective when he's on the pitch.
"He's so composed on the ball and looks to go and take it in tight areas, but he's creative, gets himself in the box, makes some great runs going forward in behind the opposition defence, and he's added a lot to his game in terms of the physical side of it, getting tackles in and getting close to people.
"He has unbelievable energy to get about the pitch and he's been massive for us this season, as have a few of the other lads as well, but when you pick up on him he's done very, very well.”
Given the Blues are going into their fourth game of the season on Wednesday when Fulham visit in the Carabao Cup and with the fifth on Saturday on the campaign’s 15th day, might some or all of that midfield triumvirate need to be rested against the Cottagers, particularly given the fitness issues Bishop and Dozzell have had previously?
"We still speak about the development of players and part of their development is to go and churn out games,” Taylor said.
"It's something that they've not done for one reason or another, most in the past it's been that they've picked up little knocks or coming back off a serious injury.
"But hopefully that's all behind them now, and they can get stronger every single week and every single game, and it makes them more resilient to go and churn out the games.
"They are quality players as well. It's about having your quality players on the pitch and having them available for games.”