Nigel Clough wants to work out the best positions of several of his Burton Albion youngsters for next season.

With Albion dropping into League One and the squad to be trimmed accordingly, academy graduates Marcus Harness, Joe Sbarra and Ben Fox, plus ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward Will Miller, are all likely to play a greater part next season.

Twenty-year-old Marcus Dinanga may also be in line for his senior Burton debut, although Clough suggests he could be sent out on loan for more experience.

For Albion's younger players to make an impact in 2018-19, Clough is keen to have specific positions marked out for them during pre-season.

Joe Sbarra played out wide and centrally for the Brewers in 2017-18
Joe Sbarra played out wide and centrally for the Brewers in 2017-18

Sbarra, Harness and Miller have all played centrally and on the wing in the Albion attack, while Fox has been stationed in central midfield or on either the left or right flank.

Not that Clough is undervaluing their versatility, which could yet prove important too - as Lucas Akins has showed.

"We've got one or two we need to pin down positions for," said the Burton boss.

"Marcus (Harness) is a bit different because he can play anywhere across the front - he can play wide or up the middle as well.

"Joe Sbarra falls into that category as well.

"It's great them having this flexibility where we can move them.

"But also, at some point, we've all got to identify and say we can do this, this and this, but this is your best position.

"There are very few players like Lucas, where you can move him around and not really tell too much difference in his performance

"He's as good there as he is there.

"We've got to do that with Fox, Sbarra and Harness, I think, which we'll try to do pre-season."

Harness returns to the Brewers after a season battling against relegation from League Two with Port Vale.

Marcus Harness looks to get past John Mousinho in a familiar battle from the Brewers training ground

That loan move was seen as a way to give the Albion academy graduate more first-team opportunities after several seasons of cameo appearances off the bench for the Brewers.

A total of 26 starts for the Valiants have helped to offer that valuable experience, and the 22-year-old will be back in pre-season with the ambition to make himself a more regular starter at the Pirelli Stadium.

"He does things on the pitch, and always has done, glimpses of things," added Clough on Harness, who made his Burton debut under Gary Rowett and has played for three Albion managers.

"So now it's making it more consistent.

"We need more than glimpses off you.

"But I think any one of those (youngsters) could play regularly in League One, if they come back in good shape and are up for it."