"They're the future of the club" - What assistant manager Cooper had to say on Town youngsters Iwobi, Chikukwa and Wilson

The trio were again unused substitutes in Tuesday night's 2-1 home win over Hartlepool United, with Iwobi yet to make his debut since joining the club, Chikukwa restricted to one substitute appearance and Wilson making one start.

"We know we faced some questions around some of the substitutes, with them not getting the opportunity to get on, but in an ideal world, which football isn't, with the amount of lads we've got out, mainly through contact injuries, these lads, who are the future of the club, would be out on loan getting valuable experience in the league below and cutting their cloth," Cooper told the Courier.

"But they're having to be put on the bench, knowing that they might be needed.

"But maybe that game wasn't the right moment for some of them young lads to get the experience in that type of game, but in a different circumstance with a different scoreline, we'd have no hesitation.

"But the likes of Justin Iwobi, Jimiel Chikukwa and Tom Wilson are the future of the club.

"They need that men's experience and potentially that pathway would be to get that experience on loan away from the club but because of the injuries we've got, we'll no doubt need them at some point."