Town manager Paul Lambert dismissed the idea he has difficult decisions to make regarding his full-backs ahead of Saturday’s game at Shrewsbury, adding that skipper Luke Chambers won’t be able to go on forever.
New loanee Luke Matheson impressed at right-back in last Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Blackpool, while Myles Kenlock put in similarly solid displays in the 1-1 draw at Crewe and against the Seasiders.
On Tuesday, captain Chambers and Stephen Ward, both 35, returned to the side as Lambert "went for a big, tall and experienced back four”, according to assistant manager Stuart Taylor after that match.
The Blues boss denied he had a big decision to make in that area of his side despite the options at his disposal.
"No, it’s not tricky, football it’s not rocket science,” he said. "Wardy and Luke have done really, really well for us. With the pitch I knew Tuesday was going to be a really bruising encounter. You have to remember those guys are 35, it’s hard for them, especially in the full-back area.
"The two younger ones did great for us against Blackpool. I’ll see how everybody is this morning.”
He says Kenlock took being left out at London Road despite his previous performances well with the players aware that with games coming thick and fast that they will be rested periodically.
"He’s done great,” Lambert said. "Myles is great, not an issue, not a problem, everybody understood, everybody knows we’ve got 12 games in this period of time. The guys were good, not a problem.”
Academy product Kenlock is now 24 and has made 80 starts and seven sub appearances for the Blues without really ever establishing himself as the first choice.
Does Lambert believe the Londoner can kick-on and be the club’s regular left-back? "I think he’s got to look at that himself, 100 per cent. I think he had Jonas Knudsen in front of him, who was consistently great here and he played second fiddle to him.
"Then Jonas got injured when we came in and I think he played about 17 games back-to-back in the Championship year and did really well.
"I think he came right off the gas last year, I don’t think he performed to the level I think he can perform to. But I think when he played against Crewe and he played against Blackpool, he was very, very good.
"Myles has got it in him, but I think you just answered the question there, it’s the consistency level.”
Asked whether Matheson’s loan signing could see Chambers revert to centre-half from the right-back role he’s occupied for every game aside from the Blackpool match this season, Lambert said: "I’ll pick a team that tries to win. Woolfie [Luke Woolfenden] and Mark [McGuinness] have done well together.
"The two kids have done really well together, they did well against a hard Blackpool side as well. They did well the other night, got caught with the free-kick, Mark maybe shouldn’t have come [and made the challenge that led to the free-kick] but predominantly they’ve done really well. They’ve been very good, not a problem with them. Two younger kids have done great.
And Matheson was great against Blackpool.”
Reflecting further on Chambers perhaps returning to his preferred central defensive role, Lambert added: "Luke’s just unfortunate, nobody can beat time, it catches you. I had it myself, I know what it’s like. You’ve just got to look at it and face that it’s coming.
"That’s what happens in football, you can’t go on for ever and ever. It’s a really hard thing for you to accept at times, or you can accept it and move on. It’s hard for a footballer, it’s a tough job they’ve got.”