What will happen to Brewers’ five loans this time?

LAST season, Burton Albion changed all five of their loan players in January – and it is not out of the question that could happen again this season.

That said, I do not think they will actually change all five but it certainly seems inconceivable that they will go into the second half of the season with the same loanees.

Last year, the first five were goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-lowe, loaned back after being sold to Chelsea, Jack Roles (Tottenham Hotspur), Indiana Vassilev (Aston Villa), Sam Hughes (Leicester City) and Niall Ennis (Wolves).

Hughes was, of course, the most successful of those and the change was forced upon Burton by his cruciate ligament injury. He would certainly have seen the season out otherwise.

After that, Ennis was arguably the closest to succeeding in the first team of the others. In a couple of matches he looked really lively and was unlucky not to score in 10 appearances.

Moving on to Plymouth Argyle for the rest of the season, he scored six goals and earned a contract. Injury kept him out this season until this month, when he has returned with four substitute appearances.

Roles was an enigma, sharp in two substitute appearances, anonymous in a third but away with Cyprus Under-21s a couple of times and returning with niggling injuries.

He is now with Crystal Palace’s Under-21s.

Vassilev also flattered to deceive in 11 appearances and perhaps looked most dangerous when thrown in late as a starter when Kane Hemmings was injured in the warm-up in the Covid-hit game away to Hull City.

However, Hughes’ sending-off after 18 minutes led to Vassilev being the unlucky man substituted and he appeared only once more.

This season, he has three goals in 21 appearances on loan with Inter Miami in his native United States.

Of Burton’s five replacements loans last season, four were successful, especially Hughes’ replacement Hayden Carter and midfielder Sean Clare from Oxford United.

Ryan Broom, a player I would like to have seen stay at the Pirelli, who came from Peterborough United, and Josh Earl, from Preston North End, also had their parts to play, while goalkeeper Dillon Barnes was both injured and unused until conceding four goals against Oxford United in the last game of the season.

This season, goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe has been similarly sidelined on loan from Brentford. I would expect his loan to be curtailed in January.

Harry Chapman, in from Blackburn Rovers, has not made anything like the impact that fans and, no doubt, manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had hoped.

There has been some good footwork and some driving runs but, as yet, no end product and it would not be a surprise if Chapman, too, goes back to his parent club.

Hughes is again on loan but we wait to see what he has to offer when he reaches match fitness after his injury. It was heartening to see him have an hour in the Birmingham Senior Cup last week.

Daniel Jebbison has been the undoubted standout success among the loanees so far, with six goals as he grows into the senior game, but the situation could be taken out of Burton’s hands if parent club Sheffield United exercise their option to recall him.

That leaves Jacob Maddox, unfortunate to be injured on his debut on the opening day of the season and a bit-part player since then.

He is on a season-long loan from Vitoria in Portugal and, to me, still has plenty to offer. At a guess, Hasselbaink thinks so, too. Maddox turned 23 last month and has lots of potential for improvement.