MARK Hughes has admitted the pressure of trying to qualify for Europe means it is highly unlikely any of the club's promising young players will feature during the final week of the season.

In an ideal world, the forward-thinking Blackburn boss would have taken the chance to blood some potential stars of the future during the last two games against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, and Reading on Sunday.

However, with a Uefa Cup spot and a possible £2m extra in Premiership prize-money still up for grabs, Hughes reluctantly accepts he cannot afford to start taking unnecessary risks that could jeopardise his side's chances of finishing with two wins.

The Rovers chief said: "Ideally, I'd like to blood one or two of the young lads but the problem with that is the game is different now.

"When I was a young player, if you couldn't win the league and you were out of the cups with five games to go, the manager would then throw in some of the young kids because there was nothing to play for, and it was part of your development as a young player to see if you could cope with it.

"But the problem you have now is every place in the Premier League is so vital, and you have so much riding on every position, that managers are less inclined to throw a kid in hoping that he will do well.

"You've got to be really certain when you do put them in that they are capable and able to do the job you are asking of them.

"And when that involves young players you are sometimes not wholly convinced."

Hughes has not been afraid to give youth a chance in the past, with the most obvious example being Matt Derbyshire, who has flourished in the first team since his promotion in the middle of December.

But as Rovers enter the final week knowing they can still finish anywhere from 11th to seventh, a difference of £2 million in prize money with each place worth an estimated £500,000, Hughes knows he cannot afford to start gambling with his team selection, even in terms of places on the bench.

"It's not only the places you can climb in the table, it's the ones you can lose as well," said the Rovers boss.

"We could finish as high as seventh, or God forbid, lower than we are now.

"That could be a difference of five spaces, which is worth £2 million, so that's significant money and we've got to be mindful of it.

"If I throw kids in then I'll do so because I'll feel they are capable of coping."

One player already being touted as a possible star of the future at Blackburn is Irish winger Keith Treacy.

The 18-year-old Dubliner has regularly impressed in Rovers' reserves this season, and Ireland U19 manager Sean McCaffrey believes it won't be long before the gifted wideman gets his chance in the Blackburn first team.

Hughes also rates Treacy highly, too, but it looks like he will now have to wait until next season for his big chance.

"Keith is doing okay but whether or not he is ready at this stage of the season is open to debate," added the Rovers boss.

"He's a young player that we've got high hopes for, but it's still very early in his development as a professional and it may be a little bit too soon for him this season."