James Tomkins and Kyel Reid continued to gain valuable experience on Tuesday night with Coca-Cola Championship run-outs for their loan clubs.
Tomkins was a 52nd-minute substitute for Derby County away to leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, although by the time he entered the fray the Rams were two down and victory was out of reach. The England Under-19 international defender has enjoyed his time so far at Pride Park, helping Derby to a League Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
Reid was aiming for a third straight win with Blackpool but they were undone by a 1-0 defeat away at high-flying Reading. The 21-year-old left winger has made an instant impact but was unable to inspire another success in playing the whole game, although Blackpool have made significant strides away from the relegation zone since his arrival.
Finally, Nigel Quashie got another run-out for Birmingham City in the 1-0 success at Plymouth Argyle. It means the second-placed Blues are within three points of rivals Wolves. A total of eight West Ham United players are out on loan with one intriguing fixture this coming weekend being the meeting of Jordan Spence's Leyton Orient with Josh Payne's Cheltenham Town.