Litherland out: The 3 Blackburn Rovers players surely eyeing an early January exit | OneFootball

A trio of Rovers players could well seek other opportunities in the new year.

Blackburn Rovers are in a fantastic position as they head into the January transfer window.

Losing Sammie Szmodics was seen as a potential final nail in Rovers' Championship coffin by some. His goals single-handedly kept them up last season, but John Eustace's side have been able to thrive without the Republic of Ireland international's strong presence in front of goal.

They are firmly within the play-off picture and a good January window could see them take a firmer grip on the top six than they already have.

Options at both ends of the pitch have been scouted out, with Reading centre-back Tyler Bindon and former Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie reportedly on the club's watchlist, although they aren't alone in either pursuit.

They've even been looking to make backroom additions, with head of football operations Rudy Gestede reportedly keen to get a new chief scout in time for the window opening, as per Alan Nixon.

But it won't just be about those that arrive for Blackburn. Some players are likely to move on, whether it be permanently or temporarily, with these three being prime candidates to do so early in the window.

Matty Litherland

Blackburn don't have the biggest squad, but it is sufficient enough that, many injuries withstanding, they don't have to fill their matchday squads with a load of youngsters. This is a good thing for the boss, but for those up-and-coming players who are in their peak developmental stages, regular game time is very useful.

Matty Litherland is one of the youngsters that has featured on the Blackburn bench fairly regularly this season. The defender, who is a regular for the Lancashire side's under-21s team, hasn't had many opportunities to get on the pitch for the first-team since signing his first professional deal with the club in the summer.

A loan move in January for Litherland would provide him with that opportunity. It's not something that he has done before in his young career, but it may be key to him one day developing into a useful player for Rovers.

Tom Bloxham

Another Blackburn teenager that could do with some time away from Ewood Park, Tom Bloxham, has done slightly better than his under-21s teammate in getting some first-team action, earning a substitute appearance against Plymouth Argyle near the start of last season, but this term has been a bit more of a struggle for him.

Under-21s football will only help these players develop much. They need to be tested elsewhere for them to improve properly.

Now, the 19-year-old was sent away temporarily in the previous winter window, with Harrogate Town picking him up on a short-term deal. That didn't go as well as first hoped for the ex-Tottenham Hotspur academy representative, so maybe a different League Two side or even a National League club could make sense for him this time around.

Jack Barrett

Jack Barrett is Blackburn's fourth-choice goalkeeper. The 22-year-old former Everton youth team member is still applying his trade in the developmental ranks of the game and is currently set to leave Rovers at the end of the season.

Because of his contract situation, Blackburn may look to see if they could move Barrett off of their books permanently in the new year rather than waiting until the summer.

For the player himself, a fresh start other than Ewood Park would do him some good. He's never made an appearance for the club and the chances of him doing so before the end of the season are slim to none. Cutting ties early in the window could be a good thing for all parties.