Boss Paul Lambert has confirmed that forward Armando Dobra has opted to stay at Town beyond this afternoon’s 5pm deadline having decided against a loan move to Crawley, as TWTD revealed yesterday.
Lambert has been keen to send his young players out on loan to gain experience but, aside from Ben Folami’s switch to the Melbourne Victory, no other moves currently appear on the cards ahead of this afternoon’s deadline.
"At this moment we can’t because of the injury situation, so unless something really jumps out at me, the guys will be staying,” Lambert said.
"Dobs, there’s been one or two in for him, but he wasn’t so keen to move himself to go and do it, so we have to wait and see.”
Although Lambert was coy on the identities of Dobra's suitors, as previously reported, Crawley Town were in talks with the Blues this week, while Falkirk and Mansfield are among the other clubs to have shown interest.
It’s understood Crawley planned to play Dobra in wide roles rather than his primary position as a number 10 which led the 19-year-old to choose to stay and fight for his place at Portman Road instead of making the switch.
"It’s important [to get the right club], but their development is the big thing,” Lambert added.
"Idris [EL Mizouni] is out with Cambridge and he’s enjoying that there so their development is the most important thing, so if we can get the right club then great.”
Does he understand Dobra’s desire to stay and fight for a place rather than making a move?
"Yes, but you’ve also got to have that realism of where you are in the club,” he continued.
"I think going out on loan would give him game after game after game, whereas he might get a little bit of stop-start here.
"I get both sides but longer term it would probably benefit him more to play game after game after game where there’s always pressure, pressure, pressure rather than having the pressure once every three weeks or four weeks.”
He added: "Dobs doesn’t lack confidence, that’s for sure, that’s a good thing that from one aspect.
"If he wants to fight to get in, that’s another good aspect but the other aspect is playing every week, which is really important for the development of it because it’s every week, it’s not once every three or four weeks, it’s every week that you want to play. He’s chosen that road, so let’s see how he does.”
Brett McGavin and Corrie Ndaba were among the other players Lambert was looking to get out on loan to get senior games under their belts.
Dobra, McGavin and Ndaba are all likely to be in action with the U23s at Birmingham City this afternoon in the Professional Development League Two South (KO 2pm).