Sterling...

[stanistheman]

always play the younger players when the team is playing well and confidence is high. playing him now will do him more harm than good

To an extent I agree with that. However a few mins as a late sub would help him.

I recall a young Clive Allen starting out that way in the 1979 team, that got relegated. He had a few sub games from January onwards and then a full game against Coventy in April and scored a hat-trick.

He could have come on late in the game against Coventry had he been on the bench. Away from home, he wouldn't have got any stick, unlike what he might get from a frustrated QPR crowd.