WANDERERS’ youngsters are staying put – at least until the club’s injury crisis clears.

While Dougie Freedman has had a number of loan enquiries about the likes of Zach Clough, Chris Lester, Conor Wilkinson and Rob Hall, the Whites boss will not be entertaining any moves until the loan window reopens in just over a fortnight.

“We’ve got such a small squad that the more inexperienced players are either playing or on the bench,” he said. “There is no chance of any of them leaving before next month.

Mark Davies, Liam Trotter, Kevin McNaughton, Dean Moxey, Josh Vela and Adam Bogdan are unavailable for today’s game at Leeds.

Lester, Threlkeld, and Wilkinson featured in Tuesday night’s extra time victory over Crewe Alexandra in the Capital One Cup – which proved to be anything but a simple passage into the third round.

But Freedman reckons the trio will have learned a lot from the experience at Gresty Road.

“I’m pleased for the group of players because there were one or two youngsters in there who now know exactly what League One football is like,” he said.

“When I get their agents phoning me up and saying ‘he should be playing here and there’ then this tells them exactly what playing alongside the big boys is about.

“One or two of the younger players had played in the previous round against a League Two side and this was League One. It was a lot more difficult for them.

“I am pleased that they have had this experience. It’s good for them to come up against a good standard of opposition.”