Albion, who have won four of their last five games in Premier League 2, head to Derby County on Friday for a 12 noon kick off at Derby's training ground. They have got used to playing at different times and in venues ranging from training grounds to Premier League stadiums.
“We have quite an eclectic set of circumstances in the under-23s in terms of kick-off times and where we play and it’s something the players have to get used to,” said Rusk.
“One week you’re in a training ground, the next you’re in a 60,000 stadium. One week your game can kick off at 11am and the next week it’s 7pm. That is all part of the learning process and, no matter the circumstances, you have to be prepared.”
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Fourth-placed Derby won 2-1 when the teams met earlier in the season and could leapfrog third-placed Albion with victory.
“Derby is always a tough game,” said Rusk. “We’ve found that whatever age group you play them. We’re not expecting anything different on Friday.
“But our performance levels have been good in recent games and you think that if you have that the by-product are good results. We’re looking forward to the game, but we know we’ll have to play well to win – and that will be the message to the players.”