WEYMOUTH’S under-23 players would not be fielded this pre-season if they were not good enough, manager David Oldfield has revealed.

One noticeable characteristic of the Terras’ summer has so far been a willingness to call upon the club’s under-23s stars.

Weymouth have a sufficient number of permanent signings and trialists to cover them, but Oldfield is intent on viewing the club’s best prospects up close.

Harrison Bruton, Archie Ricketts, Frankie Monk, Harvey Chard and Owen Peart are just some of the names trusted to perform this summer as the player pathway to the first team gathers pace.

However, Oldfield revealed the move to include under-23s more heavily this pre-season was in part down to a lack of squad depth caused by 15 players leaving the club.

He told Echosport: “We lost a lot of players and there were some players, as we know, who were under contract and with my decision allowed to go.

“We were definitely down on numbers and when that happens, there’s an opportunity that arises.

“The boys have to be good enough, that’s the point. I’m not saying anything about what happened in the past.

“We’ll find out more about them now. They really do have to try and step up and affect the group and that’s tricky but it’s great to see them and give them that opportunity.

“It is something we’ll be conscious of, whether we can do it or not remains to be seen.

“We’re certainly open-minded to it, paying attention to that pathway.”