FIRST team exposure while not denying game-time to breed development is a balancing act for boss Tony Mowbray with Rovers’ batch of exciting young players.

Mowbray has handed senior debuts to six of the club’s Under-23s side, while Joe Nuttall has made the step-up to bona fide first-team player.

Willem Tomlinson was a second half substitute in Saturday’s win at Peterborough United while Scott Wharton played the full 90 minutes of the FA Cup draw with Crewe Alexandra in which Lewis Travis came off the bench as the club’s youngsters continue to be dipped in to senior action.

And while well aware of the benefits of being around the first-team picture, Mowbray doesn’t want it to come at the expense of game-time for the Under-23s, as seen by Travis travelling straight down to Southampton after the first cup tie.

All three will be keen for more game-time in tonight’s re-arranged second round replay at Gresty Road.

Mowbray explained: “It’s an experience for the young players but you have to balance that with the games programme that they have to play.

“That’s the balance of things, being around the first-team and the dressing room and feeling what level of intensity you have to get to to play.

“It’s important that our young players play matches as well.

“I felt (Willem) Tomlinson was a classic case of that last year when I arrived, he fell in the cracks a little bit in terms of being in the squad, on the bench, not getting on and missing the Under-23s game, not doing any real training or playing any games and then week after week it was the same.

“Six weeks down the line he has hardly trained and your fitness drop away then when you ask them to play they can’t get to the level that they need to be at.

“You have to manage those situations, rotating young players in and out of the squad.

“Then when their opportunities comes they might not have played a game in four weeks and have only had matchday preparation rather than training hard and they’re off their maximum peak.”

Nineteen-year-old Tomlinson had a taste of first-team action last season making his debut in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester in February before coming off the bench against Derby in Mowbray’s first home game in charge.

He had been forced to settle for EFL Cup and Checkatrade Trophy outings having been an unused substitute on the opening day at Southend, but Mowbray was more than happy to hand him his chance at the ABAX Stadium when Peter Whittingham and Corry Evans were forced off injured.

However, the boss is keen not to over burden the young players with the expectations Rovers have this season of achieving promotion. But with Johnson’s side riding high in the Premier League 2 Division Two table, Mowbray, a regular at their games, knows the quality within the Academy ranks.

He added: “It’s a good situation to have because I feel that we have three, four, five young players that I feel could come in to our group and not weaken it too much and it will be a good experience for them.

“Hopefully we can filter some of them as we go on and it doesn’t affect the results of the team.

“What I do know is that at Under-23s level we have some development coaches who do fantastic work with the young players and the manner and educational way they go about their work is top class.

“I hope from within our ranks we have some first-team players who are just waiting to explode on to the scene a la Nuttall.

“I shouldn’t sit here and name them but it’s down to the individuals to push in to the team and I do know we have three or four that will be first-team players on a regular basis over the next few years.”

Mowbray’s stance is one that Johnson agrees with. His side have lost just twice all term and a number of his squad have spoken about the tight-knit nature of the group.

“The games are where the development and learning comes and the exposure to different scenarios,” Johnson said.

“I’ve said that the first-team face that a lot, teams sitting deep and trying to frustrate.

“That’s always the challenge, it’s not about winning leagues or getting promoted for us, it’s about them doing enough in the games to show that they are developing and improving.

“The gaffer has been great in ensuring that they don’t fall between the cracks and what I mean by that is travelling and sitting on the bench or being the 19th man and not playing for us on Monday night.

“The gaffer and first-team staff have been excellent in ensuring that they get that game time but still getting the exposure at first-team level.”