Spurs loan watch: Weekend Preview
By Tom Vinall
This weekend, there is a full slate of games for Tottenham Hotspur loanees, with a number of players not having a game last week, as a result of the final international break of the year. Let’s see how this weekend is looking for each player.
Taking a look at how the weekend shapes up for the loanees
As usual, let’s start in the Championship and make our way down, before heading into Europe. Ashley Phillips and his Stoke City side are in action away to QPR this Saturday. Before the break, Phillips was getting regular game time, though he was not included in either England U20 match day squad, so we will see if there is an injury ruling him out of this one. Kick off for this one is 15:00 GMT.
Elsewhere, fresh off his goal for England U21s, Dane Scarlett and his Oxford United side host Middlesbrough, who are managed by former Spurs midfielder Michael Carrick. Middlesbrough are 7th, one point off the play-offs, so this promises to be a tough game. Kick off also 15:00 GMT.
In League One, Matthew Craig and his Barnsley side are in action at home to Wigan Athletic this Saturday. Whilst Barnsley are doing well, sitting fifth in League One, Craig has found game time extremely hard to come by the last six weeks or so, totalling fewer than 100 minutes of action since the 5th of October. Kick off for this one is again at 15:00 GMT.
Elsewhere, Josh Keeley, Jamie Donley, and Leyton Orient make the short trip to face Stevenage. The O’s sit one place above the bottom four, though do have two games in hand with the side directly below them – with Richie Wellens side not in action last week due to the break. 12:30 GMT kick off here.
In League Two, George Abbott and his Notts County side make the trip across the border to face Newport County, as they look to bounce back from a frustrating 2-0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra last time out. Kick off for this one is another earlier slot of 12:30, and is on Sky Sports red button.
Onto the continent, where in La Liga, both Spurs loanees – Bryan Gil and Alejo Veliz – will lock horns as Girona face Espanyol on Saturday. Gil comes into this one full of confidence, having scored his first goal for Spain in midweek. This will be Espanyol’s first game for three weeks, with their game against Valencia before the break being postponed due to the floods. Kick off is 17:30 GMT.
Finally, there is action for Luka Vuskovic, Alfie Devine and KVC Westerlo, as they host Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday. During the break, Vuskovic and his Croatia U21 side suffered a heartbreaking play-off defeat to Georgia on penalties, and will not be playing at the 2025 Euros as a result. Kick off here is 18:15 GMT.