Shannon Ruth knows older pros might fancy they can bully his Albion youngsters.

That is all part of a highly varied set of tests, the latest of which takes them to League One opponents and a potential date with history this evening.

Albion under-21s visit Wycombe Wanderers in the last eight of the Bristol Street Motors EFL Trophy this evening (7pm).

They earned the challenge by topping their group against three EFL clubs, then winning 4-0 at MK Dons and negotiating a penalty shoot-out after the 0-0 draw with Reading.

The quality of under-21 teams is not in doubt but Ruth knows their mettle, their hunger for a battle might be in some quarters.

Albion’s under-21 coach said: “There is definitely a stereotype or generalisation that academy football is not as physical and it is not as near to the real game.

“That’s a lot what I hear. It enables us to really drive that side of the game when we play the match.

“To keep four clean sheets (in the Trophy so far) is something we are very proud of because it’s not easy.

“It is certainly a motivation that an opposition manager would give their player.

“That we are young players, we wouldn’t be up for the fight, wouldn’t be up for the battle.

“But they are hungry to fight. It is something you hear from Roberto  (De Zerbi) a lot around appetite and wanting to be the very best you can be.

“Because the way we play is very possession-based, we have to really push and really work hard on how we are off the ball.”

Albion’s schedule has seen them play senior EFL teams, Premier League under-21s, European opponents and local non-league sides.

They have beaten Lyon and Liverpool but lost to Steyning.

Okay, that is stretching the point a little but the varied challenges are all part of the education.

Ruth said: “We are the last step in the academy before they go into first-team football or into Gordon Greer’s group with the loan pathway.

“It’s good to be as varied as possible, to try and have as many games as possible.

“We are in the middle of Swansea last Tuesday, Palace on Friday and then Wycombe so three games in nine days.

“They are important processes for the player to learn, for them to recover and for them to get used to a gruelling fixture programme.

“Part of our education for our young players is can they repeat every game the same?

“Whether you are at Wycombe on Wednesday, or you’re at Steyning, can you perform at the same level regardless of the environment or the external pressure?

“What do you demand of yourself regardless of the opponent, regardless of who you are training with?

“Can your standards always be high?

“That’s what you see from our first-team players.

“Sometimes we have first-team players train with us and their standards never drop, whether it’s Lewis Dunk, Danny Welbeck.

“Their level of training is the same every time and that is a really good piece of education for the young players who are playing in varied games at various levels, to test their mentality to keep performing.”

Albion had to be resolute against Reading and had a little luck along the way.

Ruth was joined by colleague Gary Dicker as he watched Wycombe come from 2-0 down against Fleetwood on Saturday and expects an even tough test than when they faced Reading.

He said: “I thought Reading were going to cause us a few problems with the ball and how they played and some of the individuals, whereas I think Wycombe are quite experienced.

“They have got quite a few payers over the age of 30, 31, so the challenge is slightly different.

“And obviously the occasion and being at Adams Park, I think it will be a different challenge.

“With it being a quarter-final, not a lot of those players would have played in a latter stage of this tournament.

“That adds to it being a more difficult challenge.”