Blackburn Rovers' strength in depth will only prove to be a positive as the season enters the winter months.

Arguably the biggest success to come from the summer transfer window has been the renewed competition in every position across the squad. 

Rovers brought in a healthy quantity but also quality and now there is fierce competition across the squad. Both the head coach and various players have spoken about the increased standards in training.

However, it is inevitable that, as a result, some players will miss out on game time. With Rovers out of the Carabao Cup and few midweek matches in August and September, there have been fewer opportunities for those on the fringes to get their chances.

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That's reflected in the club's decision for many to play in the Under-21s match at Carlisle on Tuesday. Balazs Toth, Kyle McFadzean, John Buckley and Joe Rankin-Costello were all included to get valuable match minutes.

From the team that started at Deepdale, seven of them have played every single minute. The only real rotation has been in the forward line and at full-back, which has been enforced in the latter's case.

It leaves someone like Rankin-Costello in an awkward position. You do not have to cast your mind too far back to remember a scenario where he was completely frozen out under Jon Dahl Tomasson. From there, he fought back to finish second in the 2022/23 Player of the Year vote.

That is far from the scenario here but it's fair to assess that there are doubts over where exactly he fits into this team. He played in every pre-season match off the right-hand side, a new role that he hadn't played before.

He scored against Oxford United but hasn't looked entirely at home in that position. Since that win, he has been an unused substitute in the last three Championship games.

Rovers have a lot of competition on the wings after their late summer flurry. Ryan Hedges, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Andreas Weimann would all favour that side. 

Last season, Rankin-Costello impressed in central midfield, playing as a box-to-box midfielder alongside Sondre Tronstad. That's where Eustace favoured him previously but the return of Lewis Travis has increased competition. 'Travstad' has played 90% of the minutes so far.

Rankin-Costello played centrally in the Carabao Cup match against Blackpool, alongside John Buckley, but his error for the Seasiders' winner didn't help his chances. I personally still believe that is his best position, alongside a player who can break up play behind him.

Eustace has not used him at right-back for a single minute since he became Rovers head coach. Many pointed out that it was Leo Duru called upon for the closing stages at Turf Moor, not Rankin-Costello.

Of course, players are adaptable and JRC is incredibly versatile. Some might argue, to his detriment. But the role of Rovers' right-back under Eustace compared to Tomasson is completely different.

Usually, it's Callum Brittain's job to stay high and wide on the right to provide width. That allows the right-sided attacker, which has been JRC, to drift in-field. Under Tomasson, Rankin-Costello would invert and move into central areas. It's the same position but entirely different roles.

There is no obvious solution to this particular dilemma. Nor will Eusatce see it as a major problem. The results are good and his squad will be used in the busier months this season.

But for a player who has been integral to Rovers' best results in the last 20 months, it's a new scenario. 

What's for definite is that you wouldn't back against him fighting his way back into the team. What's less clear, is where that will be.