Sam Winnall is hopeful of being back in the Reds team tomorrow but has been impressed by the way his younger team-mates have stepped in for him and the suspended Adam Hammill.
Barnsley's 18-goal top-scorer injured his ankle against Coventry last week then sat out the Walsall match on Saturday as a precaution. He watched fellow striker Ashley Fletcher score in both of those matches while other loanees Harry Chapman and Callum Connolly have also impressed deputising for Hammill and the injured James Bree.
"We have strength in depth and when we have had players out the lads who have come in put on a really good performance," Winnall told the Chronicle.
"There will be injuries and suspensions and ups and down in this run-in so we need players who can come in and put on fantastic displays like they have done."
Winnall said he could have played at Walsall but did not want to risk further injury and possibly miss both the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final and a potential play-off push.
"The game just came a few days too early. We made the decision to rest me and then try to get back for the Southend game (tomorrow) which I can hopefully play in. It was really painful at the time. I carried on playing in the first half but I was limping and in a lot of pain.
"It was the right decision to come off at half-time. I was a bit worried that it was more serious and could keep me out for a big part of the run-in but thankfully it's not too bad. We've got so many important games coming up that it was a case of missing one so that I can play the rest."
Winnall admits Barnsley's improvement this season has come as a surprise even to him. He said: It is unbelievable the way things have turned around. I saw a stat that we were bottom in December and Coventry were near the top but now we've overtaken them.
"It's a credit to everyone at the club that we've really turned this season into one that could be special. We've got the momentum and I wouldn't imagine any teams will want to play us now. We've won 11 out of 13, six on the bounce at home and six out of eight away. Things are really looking good at the moment and it's a really good place to be.
"We know we've got a lot of games left and that football can change so we're just trying to win the next game for the rest of the season. We just need to not get ahead of ourselves and think that, because we're there in March, we will stay there until the end of the season. We just need to keep playing as we have been and take each game as it comes."
