Blues boss Kieran McKenna says 20-year-old midfielder Fin Barbrook has been a been a “big positive” of pre-season and that decisions will be made on where he and fellow youngsters Cameron Humphreys and Elkan Baggott will spend their campaigns over the course of the next month.
Barbrook, who hails from Southwold, has been involved with the first team throughout pre-season with the Blues short on central midfielders following the departures of loanees Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste - although the Swede may well return - skipper Sam Morsy, who moved to Kuwait SC, and the release of Massimo Luongo, who subsequently signed for Millwall.
The midfielder, whose twin brother Harry was released in the summer and joined Chelmsford City, where they had both previously had loans, spent a successful spell on loan with Sutton United in the National League last season, winning the Amber and Chocolates’ Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year awards.
Humphreys, 21, had a similarly successful loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers in League One and will be hoping to have done enough in pre-season to get himself in McKenna’s plans for the season ahead.
We understand Luton Town, managed by Matt Bloomfield, his Chairboys’ manager in the first half of 2024/25 and who also coached him in the Blues’ academy, are monitoring his situation and the Hatters are unlikely to be the only club hoping to recruit the Colchester-born midfielder for the year ahead either on a loan or permanent basis.
Baggott, 22, had a frustrating loan spell at Blackpool, also in League One, last season, injuries limiting his involvement to 17 starts and three sub appearances in all competitions.
Nevertheless, manager Steve Bruce praised the Indonesia international’s contribution on and off the field while at Bloomfield Road.
Asked about his plans for the trio following Saturday’s 3-0 friendly victory at Auxerre in France, McKenna says none of them will be going anywhere immediately.
"We need everyone at the moment, so for everyone in the club the next step is Birmingham on Friday night and getting ready for Monday,” he said. "I’d certainly include Fin in that as well with where we’re at.
"I think they’ve all had good pre-seasons, Cameron and Elkan we know what to expect from them now, we know how high their standards are and what they can contribute. They’re very important to the squad at the moment.
"We’ll assess things over the next month and see how the squad shapes up and, of course, try and always find the right balance between giving ourselves enough options and squad depth and quality but also trying to do the right things for our important young players in terms of their progression.
"Fin’s been a big positive of pre-season, the first one he’s really spent with us all the way through. It’s been an opportunity presented to him there, in terms of the midfield positions and he’s really stepped into it and it’s been a really positive pre-season for him.”