Billy Barr will today learn which senior players will be required for Under-23s duty ahead of tomorrow’s game with Manchester City.

Dominic Samuel has played the last two matches for Barr’s side, including the full 90 minutes against Hertha Berlin, as part of his comeback from a groin injury.

The striker and first-team boss Tony Mowbray will discuss the possibility of the 25-year-old, just back from more than a year out with a knee problem, would benefit from more minutes with the Under-23s.

It is a busy spell for Barr’s side, who were beaten in their Premier League International Cup opener against Hertha, as they return to league action against a City side currently bottom of Premier League 2. That is the first of three games in a week, that includes the visit of Benfica to Leyland on Monday and Premier League Cup game with Burnley next Friday.

“We don’t know what our squad is going to be until the day before usually,” Barr explained of the upcoming schedule.

“We don’t get a chance to work with the group through the week, which is understandable.

“We just try and get as much video work on the opposition as we can and give them information that can help them.”

Barr will hope to welcome back two of his Under-23s regulars for the game with City.

Lewis Thompson missed the Hertha defeat due to his international commitments with Northern Ireland Under-21s, while Jack Vale was away with Wales Under-21s for the last week.

Barr hopes to be able to welcome back the pair, with the bench against Hertha having been made up largely of Under-18s players.

There are plenty of injuries to contend with as defenders Charley Doyle, Joe Grayson and Louie Annesley are all sidelined.

Timi Sobowale, who has spent the last two weeks on trial, featuring in the Lancashire Senior Cup win over Everton and Premier League success over Middlesbrough, has now returned to City, with uncertainly surrounding his longer-term future.

“We have Jack Vale and Lewis Thompson away on international duty and both will hopefully available for the Manchester City game,” said Barr.

“I thought they were a miss to the group (against Hertha).

“We will see out how we fare, and then we have Benfica, and then four days after that we have Burnley.

“We have a busy period of games coming up and we have to make sure we’re ready for them.”

Tom White made a loan switch to National League side Barrow last week and made his debut as they went top of the table with a win over Notts County.

The 22-year-old was thrust straight in to the action by Ian Evatt as Barrow won for an 11th time in their previous 12 matches.

He joins fellow Rovers youngster Matty Platt on loan, with the defender having made 13 appearances for the Holker Street side since agreeing a season-long switch, and partnered former Under-23s captain Lewis Hardcastle in the middle of the park.

White is no stranger to the non-league scene, having played 43 times for Gateshead in the National League last year before making the move to Ewood Park.

He had been a regular for the Under-23s in the early weeks of the season, but has been starved of football of late with Jacob Davenport having built up his fitness with minutes for Barr’s side.

And when the possibility of a loan move arose, White was keen to seize it, and he will spend the next two months with Barrow, before his future is re-assessed in January.

“The gaffer put the move to Tom and he wanted to do it. I understand why,” Barr said of the decision to allow White to leave on loan.

“He wants to play football and improve, so the skills that he’s improved on will only enhance further by playing regularly.

“Barrow have won 10 out of their last 11 which is fantastic. He’s gone into a team full of confidence so let’s see how he goes.”