I think it's still a bit early for Gilmour. He is ahead of where I expected him to be at this point, I didn't think he'd make his senior debut this season
However, circumstances have worked in his favour with the transfer ban and injuries. He's been on the bench loads recently but that's with kante and loftus cheek out. And btw when you look at the players in front of him - loftus cheek, kante, jorginho and kovacic - you see the size of the task he has.
It's likely Chelsea will with at least one midfielder either in January or next summer too, who would inevitably go into the queue in front of Gilmour.
So I think it's likely they will loan him out either in January or next season or both and I think that's probably best. Then he can come back turning 20 with fifty or so appearances and probably a full international. Physically he's not ready yet but would be by then.
Chelsea have a long standing hook up with vitesse arnhem , Gilmour is small and slight and a very technical player. So it would be best for him to play in a slightly less physical and more technical environment, so that would be a good place for him imo.
Our WE qualifiers start in just over 16 months, the aim should be getting him ready for them which I don't think is impossible, hickey too. But just now he is first choice with the 21s and getting decent experience, I would leave hi there for now.
if we go out in March you bring him in sometime after then, if we qualify then you do it after the tournament is finished.