Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom could have a decision to make about the future of Nottingham Forest loanee Max Lowe in the summer.
The Blades manager says he is pleased with the defender’s form for the Reds, having been a key figure in their charge up the Championship table.
Lowe, who is under contract with United until 2024, will be ineligible to feature against his parent side when Steve Cooper’s men make the trip to Bramall Lane on Friday night.
And there remains uncertainty about what will happen to him at the end of the season. Heckingbottom is said to want two players per position at first-team level, and he already has Rhys Norrington-Davies and Enda Stevens fighting for the left-back spot.
Asked if Lowe’s eventual return means a call having to be made over the future of at least one of the trio, he told YorkshireLive: "Yeah, definitely. But it's a good place to be in.
"Ideally, you would love to be in that position for them all, if it was another loan for someone, if someone gets sold or another loan, like I say, to keep developing our young boys. That's what we want.
"Max has played a lot of football for his age but he's still a young player with a lot of development in him.
"And that's important. If he'd had still been here and it had been one of him, Rhys and Enda playing and two left out it would not have been the right thing for the group.
"It was important he was out, he's done well, he's certainly benefited and hopefully we as a club will benefit more from it."
Lowe has made 20 appearances and scored one goal for Forest, while he weighed in with an assist in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bristol City.
He was sidelined with injury for a couple of months around the turn of the year, but picked up from where he left off on his return, being one of the team’s most consistent performers.
Heckingbottom has kept tabs on his progress, and Jack Lester - former Reds striker and academy coach, who is now head of player development for the Blades - recently went to watch the 24-year-old in action.
"We have kept in touch with him, phone calls, text messages and things like that," Heckingbottom said. "Jack went to watch him the other day.
"He's been doing well. The injury came at a bad time but he came back, got a great assist a couple of games in and he's back now playing, which is where he wants to be.
"I know they are really pleased with him as well, so he's giving a really good account of himself."
