RYAN Nyambe may find himself edged out of a place in the Blackburn Rovers starting line-up today.

With captain Jason Lowe suspended and Adam Henley injured, the 18-year-old will come into contention for the Ewood Park clash with Ipswich Town.

Rovers boss Owen Coyle is expected, however, to move Ben Marshall back to right-back, and bring in one of the widemen who have been waiting in the wings.

But Coyle has no doubts that Nyambe, like a ‘number’ of his Under-23 team-mates, has the potential to become a regular in the first-team set-up in the years to come.

“Ryan has done very well, he’s trained with us again this week, and he’s one of a number I’ve got to say I’ve got high hopes for,” said Coyle, when asked whether the teenager had a chance of facing Ipswich this afternoon.

“Working with (Under-23 coaches) Damien (Johnson) and David (Dunn) every day I think you can see they’re getting better, those young kids.

“The Nyambes and the other boys come into your thoughts, of course they do, because we are a club that wants to promote young players and bring them in.

“We’ve done that with Scott Wharton, who has stepped in, and Connor Mahoney, who has been involved and will continue to be involved moving forward.

“Nyambe is another. Within the group we have scope for tweaking one or two things – Ben Marshall has operated there (right-back) as well – but Ryan has trained with us all week.

“We do have one or two options in that department.”

Coyle has taken a ‘keen interest’ in the players attempting to break through from the Under-23s.

He is a regular at their Premier League 2 matches and has watched both of their Checkatrade Trophy encounters.

Coyle said: “Usually you look at a group and think, ‘there are maybe two’, but I think there’s more who can have really good careers. Ultimately it’ll be up to them how far they want to go because we’re going to provide them with a platform and, once they get that, it’s up to them to kick on.

“But when they’ve been given a chance, whether it’s in the Checkatrade Trophy or playing in closed-door games, they’ve taken it.

“Even the other day, when we played Accrington Stanley, we brought a number in. (Lewis) Hardcastle played, (Willem) Tomlinson played very well, big (Lewis) Mansell, or Nigel as I call him, continues to get better as a striker.

“Wharton has already played in the first team, Nyambe has got a real chance, big (Matthew) Platt, the other centre-back, who is getting bigger and stronger every game, young Jack Doyle the left-back... I could go on.

“Go through that team and I do think a number have got a really opportunity.

“I think that’s credit to how hard we’re working as a club, initially to bring them in, and then from a coaching point.

“We look to develop them in the right way so when they do step on to the field at Ewood, which is a huge thing to have local boys playing in your team, they are ready.”

Rovers Under-23s return to Premier League 2 action on Monday when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion (7pm).