Spurs loan watch: Weekend Preview

Due to the third international break of the season, and final one of 2024, there is no club football this weekend for Ashley Phillips, Dane Scarlett, Jamie Donley, Josh Keeley, Alejo Veliz, Bryan Gil, Luka Vuskovic, and Alfie Devine. All of those players will be representing their nations, other than Keeley and Donley, whose Leyton Orient game was postponed due to other international call ups.

However, there are games for Matthew Craig and George Abbott. Let’s take a look at how the weekend shapes up for them.

A look at the weekend for Matthew Craig and George Abbott

In League One, Craig and his Barnsley side make the trip down South to face Cambridge United, who currently sit 22nd in League One, with just 10 points from their 13 games so far this campaign – despite three wins in their last four league games.

Barnsley currently sit 4th in League One, so are seriously expected to win this game. It has been a difficult time for Craig of late, who has been reduced to a substitute role in all of the last four league games, with the previous league outing against Rotherham resulting in him having to make do with being a time wasting sub in stoppage time.

Furthermore, the midfielder was an unused sub in the Tykes 3-1 win over Port Vale in the FA Cup first round, so he has not started a game of any sort since the 5th October, when Barnsley lost 2-0 to fellow Yorkshire side Huddersfield Town. Let’s hope he comes back into the starting XI for this game. Kick off is 15:00 GMT on Saturday.

Down in League Two, George Abbott and his Notts County side travel across the midlands to face Crewe Alexandra on Saturday. Heading into the game, Notts are 3rd in League Two, the final automatic promotion spot, with 27 points from their 15 games so far this season. Kick off is 15:00 GMT.

Crewe come into this game in 5th place, with 25 points from 14 games, so this is a huge game. This comes a week after their away game away to fourth place Doncaster, so the big games on the road keep coming. In that game at Doncaster, they came away with a 1-1 draw, with Abbott playing his part in the absolutely superb build up that lead to the Notts goal.

If they are able to win this game, they could even go top of the League Two table, should Port Vale lose their game away to Morecambe – though that does feel quite unlikely, truth be told.