November was the first month where all of our loaned out players saw game time. Returns to the first team for Aarons, Saivet and Gayle had mixed results. 2 goals and 2 assists were shared out among the 7 players in this article. A couple of players are approaching their final month with their temporary clubs and both are running out of time to make an impact.

Rolando Aarons

Position: Winger

Club: Slovan Liberec

Age: 23

Aarons turned 23 this month, which should be a rather sobering thought to any fans out there who still label him as a promising youngster. He has had significant playing time over the past month, starting all 3 of Slovan Liberec’s league games, but still failing to register any goals or assists as he approaches his final 3 games before the winter break, where his loan will expire. There’s been no word of any extension to his loan, so it looks very likely that he’ll be returning to Newcastle. On a slightly more positive note, Aarons’ return to the side has also seen some good form with 7 points gained from a possible 9 (with another game to be played on the 30th) and a cup win. The only game they failed to win was against second-placed Viktoria Plzen, so all around a good month for Liberec as they remain 7th in the league.

Dan Barlaser

Position: Central Midfielder/Winger

Club: Accrington Stanley

Age: 21

Barlaser is nothing short of integral to Accrington Stanley’s side now, playing almost every minute of league football this month. The only action he missed were in Accrington’s EFL Trophy matches, where they appear to rest their key players and experiment a bit more. Results in the league have not gone the way of Barlaser’s side though, picking up just 1 point from a possible 12, dropping 5 places to 11th in League One, 6 points away from the playoffs. A massive blow to their promotion hopes but they still have plenty time to turn it around. While Accrington finished the EFL Trophy group stage as top of their group, it was a victory in the FA Cup First Round against League Two high-flyers Colchester United that was a highlight not just for the side but for Barlaser too as he scored the only goal of the game, winning the ball in Colchester’s half and dribbling to the edge of the box, using 3 defenders as a screen and eventually firing a low shot that hit a defender and looped over the keeper. A busy December looms for the side, with 7 games to play including an FA Cup Second Round game vs Cheltenham and a visit from Sunderland a week later.

Luke Charman

Position: Striker

Club: Accrington Stanley





Age: 20

Charman has finally seen some action for Accrington, playing in both of their EFL Trophy games this month and completing a full 90 minutes against West Brom’s under-21s. He did not register any goals or assists in these two fixtures and has not even made the bench in any league games. His return to Newcastle in January looks increasingly likely, where he may find he has lost his place in the under-23s to Elias Sørensen. With an EFL Trophy Second Round game against Lincoln on December 4th potentially being Charman’s last chance to get some time on the pitch for Accrington, his loan spell looks to have been an unsuccessful venture into gaining some lower league experience.

Jack Colback

Position: Central Midfielder

Club: Nottingham Forest

Age: 29

After missing Forest’s first game of the month (a 1-0 victory against Sheffield United) through suspension for picking up 5 yellow cards, Jack Colback returned to the side immediately and has shown some stellar form as Forest went the month unbeaten. In a 0-0 draw with Stoke, Colback finished the match with 91% pass accuracy and completed the most tackles in the game (4), a similarly impressive performance followed against Hull as Forest won 2-0. The month ended in a crazy match away to Aston Villa that finished 5-5. Colback registered his first assist of the season with a simple pass to Joe Lolley, who scored a 30-yard screamer to make it 4-3 to Forest. Colback has reportedly said that he is still open to returning to Newcastle if Rafa Benitez wants to include him again, but would also love to play in the Premier League with Forest should they get promoted. With Forest sitting 6th in the table, ahead of their fierce rivals Derby County on goal difference, it’s entirely possible that Colback could get his wish.

Dwight Gayle

Position: Striker





Club: West Bromwich Albion

Age: 28

There have been worrying signs for Dwight Gayle, similar to the back end of his Championship season with Newcastle, as a calf injury has prevented him playing regularly for West Brom this month. Gayle played less than 30 minutes across games against Leeds, Ipswich and Swansea as he struggled for fitness. He did get one goal just minutes after being substituted on against Leeds as West Brom steamrolled over them 4-1, a bizarre goal that Gayle seemed to spin into. Cameo appearances against Ipswich and Swansea were less eventful for Gayle, as West Brom won both games 2-1. They sit 4th in the Championship and look likely to remain there for the time being. Gayle has said this month that he expects he will have to leave Newcastle in the near future, but has not said that this means he’ll be a West Brom player. Although if Salomon Rondon ends up becoming a Newcastle player, it’s more than likely that Gayle will be part of the deal to make that happen.

Henri Saivet

Position: Central Midfielder

Club: Bursaspor

Age: 27

Saivet returned to action for Bursaspor this month after missing all of October with a back injury, coming on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw at Trabzonspor on the 4th and in a 2-1 defeat at home against Kasimpasa on the 11th but finally starting and playing a full 90 in a 4-2 win away to Akhisarspor, assisting Mehmet Nayir’s second goal with a killer through ball through the opposition defence to draw level at 2-2. Bursaspor remain in 11th league, 4 points clear of the relegation zone.

Josef Yarney

Position: Centre Back

Club: Morecambe

Age: 21

Yarney has gone back to being a rotated player for Morecambe over the last few weeks, featuring in only 4 of their 7 games in November. In the league they’ve looked fairly strong, winning 2, drawing 1 and losing 1. Yarney started and played the full game as Morecambe beat Yeovil 2-1 on the 3rd, started and was substituted in the 53rd minute in a 1-1 draw with Notts County and came on in the 37th minute due to an injury to Andrew Tutte against MK Dons as they lost 2-0. They still remain in the bottom section of the table, 4 points clear of the drop in 20th place in League Two. Morecambe bowed out of the FA Cup rather embarrassingly after losing 1-0 to National League side Halifax Town in a First Round replay, Yarney featured in neither of the two games against the West Yorkshire side. They also crashed out of the EFL Trophy after finishing their 3rd game with a 1-0 loss to Sunderland, courtesy of a 91st minute Josh Maja goal. Yarney did feature in that game. Morecambe finished bottom of their group, losing all 3 of their games.