Tony Mowbray says John Buckley and Joe Rankin-Costello have shown they are ready to challenge for first-team spots given their performances in pre-season.

Midfielder Buckley has caught the eye in the close season, having made two first team appearances last term, and featured in all six friendlies.

While Rankin-Costello is more naturally an attacking midfielder, he finished last season with the Under-23s as a right wing-back after 12 months out injured, and has taken his chance as a right back in the pre-season matches.

Dan Butterworth is another who Mowbray is keeping a close eye on, despite missing the last two matches with illness, while defenders Tyler Magloire and Joe Grayson have also been in the first team picture given the lack of additions in defence so far.

Those players will all have loan interest, but Mowbray is keen to keep them at the club to challenge for spots in the squad.

“I think some of the young players, Buckley, Rankin-Costello, they are right in there with the first team players now and threatening starting positions,” Mowbray said.

“Everyone knows that. Everyone is getting judged on what’s happening now, not what’s happened in the past and that’s the way it’s got to be.

“If Buckley and Rankin-Costello, and a few others, Butterworth and Grayson, they have to keep going and try and force their way in.”

Buckley made his first team debut in March, at Sheffield Wednesday, with the 19-year-old also featuring on the final day against Swansea.

He was excellent off the bench at Rangers, and again in the first half at Bury, and Mowbray said: “John Buckley will not be going out on loan.

“We have spoken to Butterworth. We will see how he is fitness wise but the plan for now is to keep him around us.

“Rankin-Costello is showing me that me that he is real competition, even though he’s a goalscoring midfield player, for the right back position. Joe is a very versatile player and if you pick up injuries you have to have players that you can trust.

“At this moment my thinking isn’t to send these players out on loan, they will be competing to get in the squad.

“That’s what will happen. We’ll watch training this week and pick the team on the back of that.”

There could still be loan departures before the window for League One and League Two shuts, with Scott Wharton having joined Northampton for the season.

Damien Johnson, promoted to the first team coaching staff from his previous role as Under-23s boss, has spoken about the balancing act in deciding who leaves on loan.

And Mowbray added: “Scotty Wharton has gone out on loan and a few more might, just not the ones we feel could impact the first team at this moment.

“It’s a fine balance with young players between giving them the experience they need to progress their careers but if you feel they are pretty close to your team then you have to talk to them about that.

“If it comes to January and they aren’t getting the game-time then their advisors will think they want to go and play and we’ll look at that more sympathetically.”