Blues boss Kieran McKenna says youngster Cameron Humphreys is progressing well, despite his first-team opportunities having been more limited this season.
Academy product Humphreys made his first Championship start in the 0-0 draw with QPR last week in his secondary position of left-back, only his sixth appearance of the season, four of those in the Carabao Cup.
The 20-year-old, primarily a central midfielder, looks set to feature again when the Blues take on League Two AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
"We feel like he's progressing really well,” McKenna said. "And, of course, that's something only we can make the judgement on internally.
"But seeing him day in and day out, the way that he's developing physically, he's already very mature, but mentally he's still developing and pushing to another level, and he's continuing to work really hard on all aspects of the game.
"So we feel like he's continued to improve. He's a really important member of the group. I have to say, even as the youngest member of the group, he's a standard-setter on a daily basis. And for that reason, he has the respect of everyone within the group and he's been an important member of the squad.
"Of course, the challenge for any young player is trying to get minutes in the team that's evolving and improving because as you evolve and improve, as a young player, the team's doing that as well, so the bar gets higher and higher.
"But we feel that he's capable of making that step and he's already contributed well this season, and we'll continue to both see him as a valuable addition to the squad, but also try and make good considerations to his medium and long-term future as well, because we think is an important part of the club.”