Paul Tisdale insists the "curtain is not down" on Tom Davies' Bristol Rovers career despite his loan exit last week.
The 28-year-old's time at the Mem has been plagued by knee injuries, and after working his way back to fitness he joined League Two Barrow for the rest of the season.
The move takes the defender to the end of his contract at the Mem, but the Rovers boss insists the club will be watching his progress in Cumbria closely.
"This is not the curtain down on his Bristol Rovers career," Tisdale told Bristol Live.
"There are a lot of unknowns for me, and I think he feels that himself. That is partly why he was anxious to do something, because he needs to prove to himself and to football generally and to show us what he can do.
"It was going to take him a while to get the opportunity to do that in our first team. He might’ve done, but we’re certainly not forgetting about Tom Davies. This is a really good opportunity to see what he does."
When he has had the chance to take the field in the blue and white quarters, Davies has impressed at centre-back after joining 18 months ago.
But bouts of tendinitis in both knees, which required surgery almost 12 months ago, have forced him to the sidelines.
Davies impressed with his rehabilitation in recent months, but with no football behind the former Coventry City man it was a long shot he would be able to force his way into Rovers' 22-man squad.
"I had very little chance to see him back playing, he had COVID as well which didn’t help him. He hasn’t played much football," Tisdale explained.
"He wants to make sure he can develop his career and keep things going forward. What were the chances of him playing for us ahead of other players who are currently in the flow and playing?
"I think it was a simple decision for us, knowing how he’s got on following his recovery, and now he’s got to show it, helps us make a decision going forward at the end of the season.
"It’s the right thing to do in terms of numbers, because if I bring him back into the squad, someone else has got to drop out.
"When it’s a really good, solid member of the team, a very good, reliable person who conducts himself extremely well and acts professionally and does the right thing for himself and the club, you want to help those people have every chance they can, without hurting ourselves.
"What really prompted everyone to agree to this loan was it was the right thing with Tom. We’re not going to shoot ourselves in the foot by doing it, but there’s enough there to say we should help him get his football going again."
