Blackpool keeper Jack Sims a victim of EFL's 'waste-of-time' ruling says Simon Grayson

Otherwise that bench spot would be taken by number two goalkeeper Mark Howard, allowing 20-year-old Sims to be sent out on loan to continue his development.

Howard, 33, now finds himself out of the squad, with January signing Chris Maxwell preferred in goal.

When asked how difficult it is to manage Howard when the keeper knows he’s unlikely to be involved, Grayson told The Gazette: “It’s not easy but they understand it.

“Mark understood the situation earlier in the season, when we had to do it as well (when Jak Alnwick was number one).

“I just think the whole rule is a waste of time really as a club like ours, and other clubs in League One and League Two, are keeping young players around rather than sending them out on loan. That’s detrimental to their careers.

“Some of our younger players should be out on loan playing first-team football but you have to keep them around because of this rule.

“Whoever is that goalkeeper at this moment in time has just got to keep working hard to keep in the team.

“Those that aren’t in the team need to keep pushing to try to get into it.”

The man with the number one jersey at the moment is former Preston North End man Maxwell, who recently made the move to Bloomfield Road on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The 29-year-old was in confident and commanding form making his home debut in Saturday’s 2-1 win against Southend United.

While there was nothing Maxwell could have done to stop Stephen McLaughlin’s long-range wonder strike, he pulled off several good stops and distributed well whenever Pool looked to play out from the back.

Grayson said of the Welshman: “The games he’s been involved in show what he’s capable of.

“It’s not just his shot-stopping – it’s his overall demeanour, his enthusiasm and he’s got good distribution.

“That’s no slight on Mark Howard – they are different types of goalkeeper but we brought Chris into the club and the team because I felt it was the right thing to do.

“He will be pleased with how he’s started as a few other players will be.”

Maxwell is a replacement for loanee Alnwick, who remains with the club despite recently undergoing arm surgery.

The Rangers man made 24 appearances in all competitions this season before suffering the injury in the Boxing Day defeat by Accrington Stanley. That injury caused Sims to come off the bench for the only time this season.