There are no fewer than nine goals to bring you in a record-breaking Loan Report so, without further ado, it’s time to dive straight in.

Headliners

Our action-packed week began way back last Monday, when Belenenses hosted Benfica in the Portugese league, and Brazilian forward Nathan came off the bench to give his team a late lead.

Belenenses surrendered that advantage and had to settle for a 1-1 draw, but it was a welcome development for a player who had suffered through a torrid loan spell at Amiens in the first half of the season. He’ll hope to keep the good times rolling away to Vitória Setúbal tomorrow night.

The following day, Jeremie Boga scored for the second time this season as Birmingham beat Sunderland in a Championship relegation scrap. The Frenchman scored with his head for the first time at any level in more than five years, and ensured he would take the spoils in a head-to-head clash with Chelsea colleague Jake Clarke-Salter.

Boga was then in impressive form again on Saturday as Birmingham won 3-1 at Sheffield Wednesday, whilst Clarke-Salter missed out on Sunderland’s home capitulation to Ipswich through injury.

Friday night saw five goals plundered by the loan army, with the first two of the coming at the Gelredome. Vitesse hosted Groningen with Mason Mount, Matt Miazga and Fankaty Dabo in the starting eleven, and recorded a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Miazga and then Mount.

Mount’s star continues to rise after he was named as the Eredivisie’s Talent of the Month for January, and his latest goal means he now has four goals and an assist in his last six outings.

Over the border in Germany, Michy Batshuayi was in no mood to waste time in getting his Borussia Dortmund career off to the best possible start, as he scored twice, had another disallowed, and claimed the match-winning assist in a 3-2 win away to Köln. The Belgian forward had become the odd man out at Stamford Bridge when Olivier Giroud was signed on transfer deadline day, and will ply his trade in the Bundesliga until May instead, a move that looks inspired after his first outing there.

Not to be outdone, Victorien Angban scored his first goal in senior professional football as Waasland-Beveren won 2-1 at Royal Antwerp, his calm far-post finish coming just before half time.

Continuing on into Saturday, Lucas Piazon’s unstoppable piledriver set Fulham on their way to continuing their 100% league record in 2018, which has coincided with the Brazilian’s return to full fitness.

Across London down in Charlton, Todd Kane also found the net on his debut, having swapped Groningen for Oxford United until the end of the season. Charlton had led 1-0 and 2-1, with Jay Dasilva integral in the hosts’ second goal, but Kane struck a stoppage-time equaliser that was somehow added to in the fifth minute of stoppage time by Ryan Ledson for a 3-2 win.

England

Premier League

Kurt Zouma completed a pair of full matches for Stoke in a draw at home to Watford and a defeat to Bournemouth, whilst Tammy Abraham was twice an unused substitute for Swansea as he makes his way back from injury. With Wilfried Bony out for the season, Abraham will now compete with Jordan and Andre Ayew for playing time at the Liberty Stadium.

Kenedy’s Newcastle career has started with two assists from two corners in his first two matches as Newcastle drew 1-1 with Burnley and Crystal Palace respectively. Rafael Benitez is using the Brazilian in a more advanced role than he has seen at Chelsea and, whilst his performances have been inconsistent, he’s offered glimpses of what he can offer.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has continued to rehabilitate his injury back at Chelsea, with Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson somewhat in the dark as to his progress, or perhaps lack of.

Roy Hodgson on Ruben Loftus-Cheek : I presume our doctor is contact with their doctor, but the agreement was that he would spend two-to-three weeks without having an surgical intervention, in the hope that naturally the problem he has will be resolved. — Joos (@joosask) January 30, 2018

Roy Hodgson on Ruben Loftus-Cheek : So that's one week in, I think, so there's another 10-14 days to go before I can tell you anything about Ruben Loftus-Cheek at all. I haven't seen him literally for 10 days. — Joos (@joosask) January 30, 2018

Championship

Hull’s slide down the Championship table continued this week as they drew 0-0 at home to Leeds before losing 2-1 at Preston. Ola Aina played at left back in the former and at right-back in the latter, but Fikayo Tomori was only involved in the clean sheet against Leeds. Michael Hector came on for the last twenty minutes there, and was subsequently included in the starting eleven away to Preston, but nobody in amber and black has done themselves a great deal of justice of late, and they find themselves staring at a possible second relegation in as many seasons.

Tomas Kalas led Fulham to a clean sheet in the aforementioned 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, whilst Lewis Baker remains curiously and conspicuously absent for Middlesbrough, despite remaining with the club through the transfer window and until the end of the season. He posted this on Instagram in midweek, confirming that he is alive, at the very least.

A post shared by @ lew_baker on Jan 31, 2018 at 5:39am PST

Jamal Blackman has also been back at Chelsea recovering from a small knock but could be required back in Sheffield this week after United goalkeeper Simon Moore was sent off in their 3-0 defeat at Wolves. Finally, Kasey Palmer made his Derby County debut in the dying embers of their 3-0 win over Brentford, after joining the Rams in a deadline-day deal.

https://twitter.com/dcfcofficial/status/958980769413849088

League One

There were ninety more minutes for Jordan Houghton as Doncaster drew 2-2 at Portsmouth to solidify their mid-table position, but Iké Ugbo saw only seventeen minutes from the bench as MK Dons lost 1-0 at Walsall to remain in the relegation zone.

League Two

Brad Collins’ week began with a 2-0 defeat at Exeter but ended with a good performance in a 2-1 win over Coventry to help Forest Green back out of the relegation zone.

Non-League

Nathan Baxter and Woking had the week off, but Jared Thompson was on the end of two 2-0 defeats as Chippenham Town were beaten by Poole Town and Chelmsford City in the space of four days.

Germany

Batshuayi has been joined in Germany by Baba Rahman, who is back with Schalke for a second spell that now runs until the end of the 2018-19 season, but the Ghanaian isn’t quite match fit yet and didn’t play this weekend.

Netherlands

Marco van Ginkel captained PSV to a 4-0 win over PEC Zwolle that keeps them seven points clear of Ajax, whilst Cristian Cuevas and FC Twente lost 1-0 at Heerenveen, and are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Scotland

Charly Musonda will spend the next season and a half at Celtic, and made an eye-catching debut with a cameo appearance off the bench in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Hearts. Things didn’t quite go to plan in his first start at Kilmarnock four days later, as Celtic lost for just the second time in sixty domestic matches, but Musonda promises to be a regular feature under Brendan Rodgers.

Spain

Josimar Quintero missed Betis Deportivo’s trip to Ejido through injury.

Turkey

Kenneth Omeruo helped Kasimpasa to a clean sheet in a 2-0 win at home to Akhisar Belediyespor.

Mexico

Joao Rodriguez and Tampico Madero were shut out this week in a draw at Estado de Mexico and then a defeat at home to Mineros.

Statistics

Started: July 15th

Finished: May 26th







