Breakthrough or goodbye – Leicester City's 10 loanees and what their futures hold
Not every Leicester City player is spending the second half of the season fighting to keep the club in the Premier League.
In fact, there are 10 contracted City players plying their trade out on loan, looking to make an impact in their temporary homes.
Here, we run down City’s loanees, what they hope to achieve this season, and what their futures at the King Power Stadium hold.
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Will Alves
This is the loan fans are most interested in. Attacking midfield prospect Alves is finally getting a chance to show what he can do at senior level and is already impressing for Cardiff, including a first assist in their draw with Plymouth, despite playing such a little amount of football over the past 12 months, since his recovery from an ACL injury.
It’s now his chance to test his quick feet against seasoned pros, hone his game, and see if he can help guide the Bluebirds away from the Championship relegation zone in the process.
If he gets plenty of football and gets used to the senior game, he will be a contender in the City first team next season, no matter which division they’re in.
Hamza Choudhury
At the other end of the table, Choudhury is trying to help Sheffield United return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
It’s four wins from five for the defensive midfielder so far, the one defeat coming to Leeds on Monday night. He’s played two lots of 90 minutes across his five appearances, with his game-time for the Blades already surpassing his total at City in the first half of the season.
There’s an option to buy in his loan contract and if he plays a significant role in helping Sheffield United to promotion, that could be taken up.
At City, where he was down to fifth choice in the midfield pecking order, his time may be up, especially if the club manage to stay in the Premier League.
Ben Nelson
He’s not played since November because of a serious thigh injury, one that required surgery, but centre-back Nelson is still an Oxford player.
He’s working back to fitness at Seagrave but the intention is for the 20-year-old to go back to the Kassam Stadium when he’s fit and ensure Gary Rowett’s side stay in the division.
Hopefully he can play a few matches to help lead him into the summer, where he will then be in first-team contention at City, no matter which division they’re in.
Wanya Marcal
After a breakthrough campaign last season with a few promising showings under Enzo Maresca, this was supposed to be the year where winger Marcal kicked on.
But injuries have prevented that. He didn’t feature for De Graafschap in the Dutch second tier until December, and then only played five games before injury struck again.
De Graafschap announced in January that he had suffered a thigh injury and would return to City for treatment before flying back out to the Netherlands when he had recovered, but he’s still not featured this calendar year.
Marcal will have 12 months left on his City contract. If they’re in the Championship, he might get a look-in. If they’re in the Premier League, another loan away is most likely.
Tom Wilson-Brown
Centre-back can be a difficult position to break into as a loanee and Wilson-Brown has found that in the first few weeks at Kilmarnock.
He’s yet to make his debut for the Scottish club, remaining an unused substitute in their last two fixtures. When he does make his debut, it will be his first senior outing.
Wilson-Brown, who was on the bench for City against Man City in December, signed a new contract before he moved north, and so he will at least get another chance to impress in the summer.
Brandon Cover
Despite impressing at Port Vale, the return of injured players at the club saw City recall Cover for fear he would not feature often in the second half of the campaign. He’s been sent to Fleetwood instead.
While Vale were in the thick of the promotion battle, Fleetwood are on the outskirts, with half a chance of getting themselves into the play-off picture.
Cover has not yet asserted himself as a regular starter at Fleetwood, but the three games he has been in the 11, they’re unbeaten, while they’ve failed to win any of the four he’s been used as a substitute or remained on the bench.
Now 21, Cover is getting to the age where he needs to make his breakthrough at City. Given Kasey McAteer jumped from League Two to the Championship the last time City were relegated, it’s not out of the question Cover could do the same if the club do go down.
Chris Popov
A first loan spell away is perhaps not going how the striker wanted so far. After making his City debut in August, and having scored regularly for the Under-21s when he was fit, a spell in League Two looked more than suitable for Popov.
But he’s started just three times for Barrow, has not featured since Boxing Day, and is still waiting for his first goal.
While he’s only 20 and so there’s plenty of time, a breakthrough at City feels a long way off.
Arjan Raikhy
As the oldest player in City’s development squad, midfielder Raikhy was given a few chances under Enzo Maresca last season amid an injury crisis.
But it looks like his spell in City’s first team will go no further than that. He’s being used as a substitute for National League side Tamworth at the moment, and at 22, his time at the King Power Stadium is drawing to an end.
Oli Ewing
It’s a similar story for Ewing. He’s playing regularly for Buxton in National League North, and has already managed six lots of 90 minutes in a row. But at 22 years of age, his time at City looks to be over.
Ben Grist
The 20-year-old centre-back has been a regular since joining Worksop Town, and has won four games from four. But playing in the seventh tier does not suggest a City breakthrough is imminent.
