Town manager Paul Hurst believes on-loan Chelsea youngster Trevoh Chalobah should be able to feature throughout the season despite his youth, while he says it might take Jordan Roberts, who signed on a free transfer after leaving League Two Crawley Town in the summer, a little while to find his Championship feet.
"I might be wrong but I think if Trevoh's fit and available he could quite easily do that," Hurst responded when asked if Chalobah, who recently turned 19 and has started all four of Town's matches so far, would be capable of managing 40-odd Championship games as 18-year-old Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon did last season.
"Whether or not he has another growing spurt, he'll be some size if he does, but realistically I look at him and what an athlete he is.
"We've looked at his data and sometimes you can just keep rolling them out there but what might suffer is the performances, of course.
"But at the minute, I think he's in a good place. I'm sure if I said to him, 'Look Trevoh, I'm going to give you a little rest', he'd look at me a bit 'gone out' and be asking to play, so I don't think we're at that stage where I'm even thinking about that.
"Looking back on TV, his goal on Saturday was a better finish than I thought. On the day I thought it was a little bit scruffier, but it was a good goal.
Roberts, 24, has so far made only one brief appearance for the Blues as a sub at Rotherham. Hurst says that it's not down to fitness but competition to get in the team.
"More to do with just earning a place," he said. "While I guess JD [Janoi Donacien] has come in from a team [Accrington Stanley] that was playing in League Two, they got promoted, and Kayden Jackson, Jordan has come from a League Two side as well.
"He's shown some things. We had a good chat the other day, we're looking at more consistency from him on a day-to-day basis.
"In the [recent behind-closed-doors friendly] against Cambridge, he actually played as a centre-forward and did extremely well for the first half.
"But he was always one that was brought in, in truth, that we expected to be, not a project, I hate that word, he's not an experiment as such, but we expected it to take probably longer for him to get to where we want, if he does at all.
"But there's a good chance he will be involved in some capacity tomorrow evening and he's just got to keep working hard on the training ground.
19 and he is that size! Really does show what being at a club from the age of 5/6 does to you. What are they feeding them!? Haha! Great player though. Also, showed alot to grab the ball and go for another against Villa. Great team ethic at the minute.
Yes I liked that - score then immediately go and grab the ball off the keeper. Very Roy Keane, keep focussed, go for the winner. Too many players lose all concentration with all their fancy goal celebrations. Go Trevoh!
Worth a punt, you never know in all seriousness.
We got the defended too who name I can't recall, he was Utd and City poached him!
Doesn't matter where you come from.
We depend on this kid at the moment as Skuse has been nowhere. Would like to see Downes play can't just start Skuse just for experience because that's all he has offered.
Skuse is just one of those players that some fans like to hate, like Scowcroft in his day.
Just like Scowcroft, the people who hate don't actually have any clue what the player has been tasked to do by his manager. Why else do you think he keeps getting a game. Everyone said he was a Mick favourite, yet Hurst has gutted the squad, yet keeps playing Skuse. Why do you think that is?
It's because he is very good at what he does.
Because of lack of options obviously. Skuse has been awful. Hopefully Huws can challenge for that position. Hurst obviously doesn't trust him as the lone holder instead trusts chalobah wonder why that is? Oh but I know nothing about football have watched every minute of every game and it's a matter of time till Skuse is dropped. At the end of the day he was mediocre in his prime and only worked in a non footballing MM side. Now we are trying to play he is getting seriously exposed and is a clear weak link. Try taking off ya MM tinted shades.
This will be his last season here if anyone would take him which I doubt.
I think that about takes the biscuit, afcfee. Believe it or not, I don't think the number of games you've watched is any guide to your claiming to be an expert.
It won't take many more games how he's playing till he's dropped can't give the ball away and loose position that much especially with his lack of pace to recover.
Worse bit was when he gave the ball away on the D and put villa in then tried blaming it on poeple not talking around him. If you can't hear anyone you don't have to just fold possession doesn't even look comfortable defensively and no point talking going forward Chalobah has same goals he has in how many years?
Yes Chalobah is good, but Skuse was better in his position and the best defensive midfielder in the Championship. Was one of the areas we didn't need to change. Not convinced pushing Skuse forward has improved us.
Best Cdm in the championship is that a joke? Actually clueless if you think that. He only got so many interceptions from being out of position so much. Would love to see our defensive record with him and without him to back up him being the best in the league because we let in slot of goals in recent years but you lot think he is some sort of rock it's laughable. From what I've seen and heard Hurst won't have any slackers so its a matter of time till he's gone he isn't good enough for this league let alone the best.
This lad has quality about him how ever he played a number if wayward passes that left us open at the back and I think one of these hospital passes led to the edun red card against Villa he also was often boarder line late in the tackle. And plays with his head down a lot.
Skuse is that age now when the pace goes from his legs so he will be phased out over the course of the season. We must remember he is playing an entirety different way to the MM earer so this will take time for him to get in the Grove of when to hold and when to go. While also trying to help the 7 players with limited experience in this league.