THESE are challenging times being a City player right now – even more so when you’re a young one still finding their feet in the senior game.

Injuries continue to hamper Stuart McCall’s team selection as they face a quick turnaround with the midweek haul to Leyton Orient.

The onus is on those taking the place of the more established figures to step up to the plate – something that did not happen at Salford.

Austin Samuels was one of the few exceptions in an underwhelming team display and had City’s best chance when he hit the post.

A day after turning 20, the Wolves loanee was making only his third league start.

He has been thrust into the frontline alongside Clayton Donaldson as the club’s only fit strikers currently.

Lee Novak remains the biggest miss and indications are that he won’t be back in the reckoning to lead the line again for a few weeks yet.

Kurtis Guthrie is still making his way back from injury and Billy Clarke’s hamstring is unlikely to be risked with the long journey to London.

City’s starting line-up at the weekend had only five league goals to their name this season – Orient’s top scorer Danny Johnson boasts almost double that himself with nine.

It is an uncompromising situation in which to begin your career in first-team football. But Samuels believes he is growing into the role.

He said: “There is a lot of responsibility but I like to thrive on challenges, so I think it’s good for me. That’s why I’ve always wanted to get out on loan.

“I feel I’m developing as a person living by myself after being in Wolverhampton so many years.

“On the pitch, I’m getting more and more confident as the games go on. I’m learning a lot of different aspects that you need to work on that you might not need to in the (under) 23s.

“The physicality is really different and some of the defenders are a bit smarter because they’ve got years of experience.”

Samuels had not anticipated being sent out on loan until January. But City’s persistence immediately after he had scored for Wolves in the EFL Trophy at Valley Parade at the start of last month persuaded his parent club to let him go.

But the Premier League side still keep close tabs on his progress.

“I talk to the analysis guys and coaches at Wolves after every game and give them my review on how it went,” he added. “They ask me how it’s been and how I’m doing in training.

“It’s important that they keep in touch. I’ve come here to develop my game and prove that I can handle it at this level.

“When I was younger, people did say that I used to play a bit like Ian Wright. Not that I really saw it myself.

“If you’re quick when you’re young, it’s easier for you to play the ball behind and run on and score.

“But as I got older, I tried to change it up a bit more, come short and learn to be able the handle the ball better.

“It’s not easy but I need to keep trying to improve. Individually I want to do well for myself and get as much experience and minutes on the pitch as I can while helping the team move up the table.

“I want to take what I have learned from this loan into next season and hopefully kick on from there.”