For Lewis O'Brien, it looks as though the frustration of the last few months is slowly starting to come to an end.

Having joined Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal from Huddersfield back in the summer transfer window, the midfielder found game time hard to come by with the newly promoted Premier League side during the first half of this season, starting just eight games across all competitions.

As a result, a loan move to Blackburn Rovers was lined up on the final day of the January transfer window, only for a late submission of paperwork by the Championship to prompt the EFL to block the deal from being registered.

Following that, O'Brien spent the whole of February in limbo, waiting for an appeal over that decision by Blackburn to be heard.

Eventually though, it was announced at the start of March, that Rovers' attempt to overturn that decision had been rejected, meaning O'Brien remained a Nottingham Forest player, despite having been left out of their 25-man squad for the second half of the Premier League season.

Consequently, the 24-year-old found himself facing the prospect of not being able to play any senior football for several months.

However, it now looks as though he will avoid such an eventuality, with O'Brien now reportedly set to join MLS side DC United on loan until June.

But as the finishing touches to that move are applied, you get the feeling that those associated with Blackburn will be watching on, with a greater sense of regret and frustration than ever.

Given the influence he has on Huddersfield's run to the Championship play-off final last season, missing out on O'Brien was always going to be a loss for Rovers, as they made their own push for a top six spot this season.

Now though, that loss for the Lancashire club has been enhanced even more, after it was revealed on Tuesday that midfielder John Buckley will miss the rest of the season due to injury.

As a result, the fact they were not able to do a deal for O'Brien, means Blackburn now look rather stretched in midfield.

With Buckley out and O'Brien heading elsewhere, Rovers find themselves with three players under the age of 21 - Adam Wharton, Jake Garrett and Liverpool loanee Tyler Morton - as their only established options to partner captain Lewis Travis in the centre of their midfield.

Consequently, Rovers' lack of experience in the centre of the park is now more exposed than ever, with that aforementioed trio having made a combined total of just 73 senior appearances between them in their careers so far - 47 of which are Morton alone.

Indeed, Wharton has not made a first-team appearance since New Year's Day due to injury, while head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson recently challenged Garrett to show more in training, to earn a place back in the side.

It seems therefore, as though missing out on O'Brien, now means that with Buckley also out, it does seem as though the club are treading a fine line when it comes to their options in the centre of the park.

Of course, Rovers do have the option of switching Joe Rankin-Costello from right-back to central midfield, but that could also risk leaving them short on the right of defence, particularly considering Callum Brittain's own injury troubles in that position this season.

With all that in mind, it appears that just as O'Brien is closing the door on this chapter, recent events mean that for Blackburn, this could all be set for yet more scrutiny.