ROB Hall could leave Wanderers on loan after being told he needs to “show more” to feature in Dougie Freedman’s first team plans.

After playing just 67 minutes of senior football so far this season, the former West Ham winger has spent the last few weeks in the development squad ranks.

One of Hall’s former clubs Birmingham City have already been linked with his services – with Freedman admitting he is contemplating sending him out to gain more experience.

“Rob needs to show a little bit more to push himself into the first team,” he told The Bolton News.

“In Rob’s personal case he needs to understand and learn that he needs to fight for his position. He’s still developing and learning.

“Where we have been recently isn’t a great place to develop and I think it has been better to work away on his game on the training ground, get a little bit stronger and fitter.

“I’m a big believer in making sure your younger players get games and it might be the case that we look at a loan for him to make sure he’s doing that.”

Hall was disappointing in his only first team outing this season, against Bury in the Capital One Cup, lasting just over an hour before being replaced by Craig Davies.

He has since featured on the bench just once, against Leeds United, and played three times for the Under-21s.

It is all a far cry from Hall’s encouraging debut season, which saw him make 24 appearances and score twice in all competitions.

The youngster moved from West Ham last July after a tribunal, which set the initial fee at £450,000 with bonuses depending on his success at Bolton.

Meanwhile, Josh Vela is on his way back to contention after coming through more than an hour for the development squad in their defeat against West Brom on Monday night.

Freedman confirmed that the midfielder, pictured below, had been out of contention since pre-season because of a knee injury but that he could soon be available for selection.

“Josh is coming back from injury,” he said. “He’s been out for five or six weeks and has only really been able to play this last week.”

Vela spent the end of last season on loan at Notts County and has not started a game for Wanderers since last August when he turned out in a Capital One Cup game against Tranmere Rovers.