Director of Football Lennie Lawrence said that this afternoon's reserve team game against Hereford, at Edgar Street, was a useful workout.
The reserves won the game 3-2, with Josh Klein-Davies, Charlie Reece and an own goal contributing to victory at Edgar Street.
"It was a useful workout," Lennie told bristolrovers.co.uk "and David Pipe came through the ninety minutes with no reaction to his injury and I'm sure he will be in the squad for the weekend.
"Sean Rigg also got through ninety minutes, though to be fair he has been back in training for a couple of weeks now and been involved in the last two squads.
"Some of the younger lads, who are out on loan, featured for their clubs on Saturday and that's why they didn't play the full ninety minutes this afternoon. The rest got a game in, and will get another under their belts next Tuesday when we play Yate in the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup."
Recent signing Richard Langley played the opening 45 minutes, but didn't reappear for the second half.
"He has a sore calf, so it was a precautionary move more than anything. I don't think it's too serious but in his situation he can't take any chances, so that's why we took him off at half time. He did alright, and I'm sure he will be back in training on Thursday and Friday and will be included in the squad for the game at Millwall."
Of some of the younger players, Lennie had this to say.
"Josh Klein-Davies has just gone to Newport and played 20 minutes for them on Saturday, which is why he started today. Joe White is now in his third month at Chippenham and played for an hour against Mangotsfield on Saturday. He's doing very well there, as is Alex Kite who played the whole ninety minutes at Cossham Street.
"James Fraser has been out on loan at Tiverton for almost three months, and has done pretty well, and now needs to move up to the next stage which is the Blue Square South at least. Meanwhile Ben Swallow is out at Bridgwater, and getting games on a regular basis for them, which is good.
"Many of the others aren't out on loan, and that's why this game was arranged. The good thing about these games is that even if our players are out on loan, they can still play for us, whereas if we were in a league they would be unable o play and that would leave us in a dilemma, with not quite enough players."
There are one or two other players he would like to see go out on loan, for the benefit of their careers.
" I would like Liam Harwood to go out, as he's coming up to 21. The problem is that he's already played two years in the Ryman Premier League and, no disrespect, it's not to anyone's benefit for him to play in the British Gas Pemier League. Ideally, he needs a club in the Blue Square South or even the Blue Square Premier. However, the transfer window for the Premier League is closed until January, though we could still do the South."
Goalkeeper Mike Green is another who would benefit from a loan spell.
"At some stage we have to get him out on loan, but we would then have to get someone in of a similar standard. That player would need to be able to cover for us in an emergency, won't cost too much money, and he and his club will have to be happy that he's going to sit on the bench while we let 'Greener' go out and play.
"It's not an easy situation, and won't happen until January unless something unforeseen happens. It's not easy but it's something that, in the end, we are going to have to do."
