It certainly is not lost upon head coach Mark Fotheringham.

The likes of Etienne Camara, Ben Jackson, Pat Jones and Brahima Diarra have all made contributions, while Nicholas Bilokapic featured for the first time in this current campaign last weekend - and will make his first league appearance at Hull if Lee Nicholls's shoulder issue rules him out for a second game.

Town’s kindergarten crew will continue to be important, moving forward, but Fotheringham is savvy enough to accept that the fate of the club’s testing campaign will depend on the input of their senior players.

One could return for the first time this season today in Matty Pearson, while Jonathan Hogg should also be available. Another experienced figure in Oliver Turton is also making a quicker than expected recovery from injury.

Fotheringham, who has brought in Anthony Knockaert and Martyn Waghorn this week, said: “Moving forward, we need men in the building.

"Guys who are going to go out there and have been there and done it such as Matty Pearson. They have got big characters and personality and can take the game by the scruff of the neck and know how to manage the game.

"But if we continue to have injuries, which can happen in this league, the young players will come into a very settled side and will get looked after well.

"The young lads have done very well and played without fear and face the situation head on which is a credit to themselves, but we are now coming to the business end of the season and we need our big players back quickly and go on a run now.

"We are facing the clubs around and about us in the next nine or ten games and it's up to us now to take responsibility and we have some good, motivated players in the group and I am very optimistic. I am a confident guy and believe in this group."

Aussie keeper Bilokapic has featured just twice at first-team level.

Should Nicholls be out for a spell, then a move for experienced cover is a sensible option and surely a vital one given Town's predicament.

Fotheringham added: "What we will do is focus on the game this weekend and then take it from there, afterwards. We are looking to freshen up and improve the squad, we know the situation we are in.

"There's not masses of funds available, but what we can do is be creative with it and lean on our networks."

Mark Fotheringham on why senior players will decide Huddersfield Town's fate and not kids