January Everton Loan Recap: Injury Ravages Youngsters

It’s really not been a great start to 2020 for many of Everton’s out-on-loan contingent.

Of the 16 players currently with other clubs, six have suffered with injury problems with month, although three players did manage to get on the scoresheet…

The Youngsters

Kieran Dowell – Wigan Athletic

Dowell’s loan at Derby County was cut short earlier this month due to a lack of game time for the attacking midfielder and he was immediately sent back out to Wigan Athletic.

The change in surroundings appeared to have the desired effect at first, with Dowell playing the full 90 minutes in his first two Wigan games. However, he was then stretched off with an ankle injury after 66 minutes of their 2-1 win on Tuesday.

Fortunately, though, Dowell’s injury wasn’t as serious as first feared and he is expected to be out for about four weeks.

Joao Virginia – Reading

Virginia has been recalled to the Everton under-23 squad after a disastrous spell at Reading.

Nathan Broadhead – Burton Albion

Injuries continue to limit Broadhead’s impact at Burton. He appeared just once in January, and had to be replaced at half-time of their 1-0 win over MK Dons. The promising attacker has made just two cameo appearances in Burton’s last 14 games.

Hopefully he can get fit soon and show us what he is capable of in the tail end of the season.

Jonjoe Kenny – Schalke

Jonjoe Kenny’s Bundesliga loan spell is certainly the most eye-catching of any Everton loanee.

He started Schalke’s impressive 2-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach following the winter break, but then he didn’t have the best of day’s as he also was present for their 5-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, in which he was replaced after 80 minutes. Kenny missed his first game of the season on Friday as a virus kept him out of their goalless draw with Hertha Berlin.

Josh Bowler – Hull City

Bowler continues to be in and out of the Hull City starting line-up, with brief cameos from the bench and one start in January. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury on the hour on the game he started and was subsequently ruled out of their next two matches.

Sadly, news has come out that’s he’s expected to be out for six to eight weeks – which will see him miss a good chunk of the second half of the season.

Korede Adedoyin – Hamilton Academical

Still yet to make a senior appearance for Hamilton. There’s been no word as to what’s going on with him.

Fraser Hornby – KV Kortrijk

Didn’t play a minute for Kortrijk in January. His move is going somewhat south after a positive start.

Callum Connolly – Fleetwood Town

Connolly also switched clubs in January in the pursuit of more playing time and it’s gone to plan. Connolly’s started all four of Fleetwood’s games this month, with Joey Barton choosing to utilise the versatile 22-year-old at centre-back.

With Lewis Gibson joining him at Fleetwood on loan, it’ll be interesting to see whether they’re partnered together in defence or whether Connolly will make a move back into midfield.

Morgan Feeney – Tranmere Rovers

The 20-year-old centre-back has made the first loan move of his career late in the window, joining Merseyside neighbours, Tranmere, for the rest of the season.

The Deadwood

Luke Garbutt – Ipswich Town

Garbutt’s flying at Ipswich and shouldn’t be short of options when his Everton contract expires in the summer.

In January, he played every minute of the Tractor Boys’ fixtures, and all on the left wing. He played six games and secured three assists.

Ipswich are currently third in League One, but just two points off top spot and Garbutt could play a key role in helping them secure a return to the Championship.

Matthew Pennington – Hull City

Pennington got his first two starts of the season at the start of January, playing the full 90 minutes at right back in Hull’s 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday and subsequent 1-0 defeat with Fulham.

He returned to the bench against Derby though, before he was also struck by injury.

Unfortunately, though, he was also struck with an injury, although he isn’t expected to be out for long.

Mo Besic – Sheffield United

Good start to 2020 for Mr Besic.

He’s featured in all six of Sheffield United’s games in January, making three starts and three appearances from the bench. He also scored a lovely goal from outside the box against Millwall in the FA Cup.

Will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Bosnian international and whether he can secure a permanent Premier League move at this loan spell.

Shani Tarashaj - Emmen

Not played a minute for Emmen yet.

Missed the whole of January with the flu, apparently.

Sandro Ramirez – Real Valladolid

Sandro goal alert!

After a couple of substitute appearances in La Liga in January, Sandro scored the opener in Valladolid’s eventual 2-1 loss to second-tier Tenerife in the Copa Del Rey.

Yannick Bolasie – Sporting Lisbon

Tough month for Sporting Lisbon as they lost to both Porto and Benfica, leaving them 12 points adrift of the Champions League spots.

Bolasie remains an important player for Sporting though, starting in all the games he’s been available. However, he received a straight red card against Braga in the cup after a strange VAR-ruled slip-turned-kick-out and was subsequently suspended at the weekend.

Cenk Tosun – Crystal Palace

Good start to life at Palace for Tosun. After impressing when coming off the bench in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal, he started and scored the opening goal in their 2-2 draw with Man City and kept his place in the team for their 2-1 defeat to Southampton.

Hopefully his value is rising.

Jonas Lössl – Huddersfield Town

After not playing a minute since signing from Huddersfield in the summer, the Danish goalkeeper made a deadline day loan return to his former club for the rest of the season.