Town boss Mick McCarthy says youngsters such as Andre Dozzell will have to step up next season with the emergency loan provision no longer available.

FIFA have forced the Football League to scrap the system, which has allowed clubs to sign players on short-term loans of up to 93 days outside transfer windows, as it “affects the sporting integrity of the competitions”, much to McCarthy’s frustration.

He says that will mean that youngsters such as Dozzell, who made a goalscoring debut aged 16 years and 350 days on Saturday, will have to play their part and augment his senior squad.

“Whatever it takes, I’m going to have to use them," McCarthy said. "We go into next season with no emergency loans.

“People inside the club are already asking me how many players I think we’ll need, the other staff, scouts, the director of football, coaches.

“We’ve used about 18 players this season. Everybody will scream, ‘No. you’ve not, you’ve used 26 now with Dozzer', but we’ve had Tommy Oar, who had a bit part, Bish, who has had five minutes, Didzy, who made his first start [since October on Saturday], Piotr Malarczyk, who had 10 minutes at Nottingham Forest and not much more.

“If you go through the squad, there’s probably been a real, solid nucleus of 18 players. That’ll be the same and on top of that there’ll be Dozzell, Adam McDonnell, James Blanchfield, Josh Emmanuel, Myles Kenlock, who was on the bench today.

“Those boys are going to have to step up and become part of the squad and they’re going to have to be the ones who might get 10 minutes, two or three starts with a solid squad of 18 players.”

Emmanuel, 18, and Kenlock, 19, signed pro deals earlier in the season having made their senior debuts, 18-year-old Blanchfield, who is yet to make his senior bow, was recently offered pro terms.

McDonnell, 18, whose only first-team game came in the Capital One Cup at Doncaster, is understood to have had an option for a further season included in the two-year deal he signed with Town when he joined from Dublin side Shelbourne in the summer of 2014.

Also amongst the young players likely to be involved with the first team squad next season is midfielder Kundai Benyu who has spent much of this season out with a knee injury but has recently returned to action. The 18-year-old was on the bench for the first team last season, although without making his debut, and signed a pro deal.

Centre-half Matt Clarke, 19, could also make an impact at Portman Road having spent this season on loan with League Two Portsmouth.

Some of the young players cited by McCarthy are likely to be involved with the U21s against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this afternoon (KO 1pm).

Midfielder Teddy Bishop, already an established member of the first-team squad at 19, has been pencilled in to play the full 90 minutes as he continues his comeback.

Having won three on the bounce, the U21s are up to sixth in their Professional Development League Two South table.

Photo: Action Images

HARRY10 added 22:32 - Apr 18 'Klug said a few years ago that the plan is to have 50% of the 1st team coming through the Academy within 5 years. ' That's not actually true. The words were - 'we're aiming for at least 50% of the first team squad to be home-grown by 2017' Bryan Klug July 2013 Which is about ten players. And how many do we have with around 8 months to go ? Any increase next season will be more down to the ending of the emergency loan system, than necessarily the abilities of the youth players. How many will fit into MM's 'hoof ball' tactics ? How many might feel their development might therefore might elsewhere ?

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Crackersjackers added 23:02 - Apr 18 Feel that next season can be a success if players such as Dozzell, Blanchfield and Mcdonnell are managed properly and encouraged to play their natural game. Even though unlikely, 1-2 million pounds to bring in one or two quality players wouldn't go a miss with the additions of Pringle and Feeney (Impressive at Sheff Wed) would also be an improvement on our current squad. Was also looking at a decent player to partner Skuse in central midfield and noticed that Jack Payne and Alex Gilbey are available on frees in the summer which would be better than Douglas or Karl Henry who we are supposedly interested in.

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