Business is beginning to pick up on the Loan Report front as, after two goals last weekend, we have four to bring you this time around.
Headliners
We start with Mohamed Salah, who has scored in three successive Roma fixtures, carrying straight on from where he finished last season with Fiorentina. After notching a nifty volley at home to Sassuolo last weekend, he produced a smart finish in a 2-1 defeat to Sampdoria before then helping to pile on the misery for Carpi (for whom Wallace was an unused substitute) to the tune of a 5-1 hammering. He scored the fourth, stealing it from Francesco Totti, who went off injured immediately after contributing what transpired to be an assist.
The next goal comes from Lucas Piazon, who marked his first Championship start for Reading with a maiden goal in English club football. It came early in their 2-0 win at Burnley and finished off a patient build-up.
It was the perfect way to build off a week in which he was also granted a start for their League Cup defeat to Everton and, after a slightly slow start, things have definitely picked up for the highly-touted Brazilian. Michael Hector, meanwhile, also started both matches – serving as captain against Everton – and he too is looking to establish himself in a competitive centre of defence for the in-form Royals.
A little later on Saturday, Marko Marin scored his first goal in Trabzonspor colours, but it came as little more than a consolation as his team went down 3-1 away to Osmanlispor. Marin is at least fit, starting and playing ninety minutes, and producing tidy finishes like this:
England
Christian Atsu’s second appearance of the season for Bournemouth came in the League Cup, as did his first, and he got 81 minutes away to Preston before then sitting out their weekend league trip to Stoke, where Marco van Ginkel continued his ever-present league record but this time as a late second-half substitute.
Patrick Bamford wasn’t even afforded a League Cup start for Crystal Palace against Charlton, instead getting just half an hour from the bench and picking up a knock that kept him out of Sunday’s trip to Watford. Nathan Aké got fifteen minutes from the bench in that one but Palace ran out 1-0 winners.
Tomas Kalas played a full match at centre-back for Middlesbrough against Wolves as Aitor Karanka’s side sauntered through to the Fourth Round courtesy of a 3-0 victory, and he was then back at right-back for Sunday’s dismissal of Leeds by the same scoreline. His performance in the latter was much closer to his better form, although still some way off his best.
Jordan Houghton and Alex Davey were unused substitutes for Gillingham and Peterborough respectively.
Netherlands
There was a double dose of action across the continent for most Chelsea loanees this weekend but few will have been as interesting as those experienced by the Vitesse contingent. Tuesday brought about a KNVB Beker trip to Heracles and, with it being a cup clash, manager Peter Bosz opted to rotate. Dominic Solanke started a tumultuous affair that saw Marvelous Nakamba, Renato Ibarra, Guram Kashia and Bosz himself all sent off as the hosts were awarded two penalties to boot.
Heracles prevailed 4-1 after extra time; Solanke completing ninety minutes before being replaced, whilst Lewis Baker got a brief run-out towards the end of the additional period. Both started Saturday’s league clash at Heerenveen and were keenly involved; Baker more influential in an advanced midfield role deputising for the injured Valeri Qazaishvili, and he had a number of efforts at goal.
The most notable came just before half time when his close-range strike slammed against the crossbar before hitting Solanke and crossing the line, but unfortunately for the teenage striker, he was in an offside position. Solanke then also missed a glorious chance in stoppage time, leaving the final score a 0-0 stalemate, but he did at least produce this moment of skill to leave an impression on the hosts’ Kenneth Otigba.
This is just rude from @DomSolanke really. pic.twitter.com/qgXi8PUfBe
— Chelsea Youth (@chelseayouth) September 26, 2015
Nathan played the last ten minutes at the Abe Lenstra Stadion, Izzy Brown was an unused sub, and Danilo Pantic missed out with a slight injury.
Todd Kane and NEC Nijmegen had a much simpler week by comparison. He completed a pair of matches, winning 3-0 at Noordwijk on Tuesday and then giving champions PSV a decent run for their money despite losing 2-1 on Saturday.
France
Jeremie Boga has this week managed to establish himself as something of a ‘super-sub’ for Rennes, and whilst he’s yet to score, his involvement as a second-half introduction away to Gazelec Ajaccio on Wednesday and at home to Troyes at the weekend has gone some way to establishing himself as a reliable option within the squad.
In a week in which he was selected by Adidas as part of a marketing campaign involving Lionel Messi, new boots and a ‘next generation’ crop, he was introduced by manager Philippe Montanier into matches where Rennes were trailing by a single goal. His energy, invention and opportunism helped increase the pressure on each occasion and Rennes were able to take a 1-1 draw on both occasions, and a first start certainly isn’t far away.
Mario Pašalić was back in the Monaco starting eleven for their 3-2 win at Montpellier on Thursday before he then took a back seat in Leonardo Jardim’s midfield rotation, playing 25 minutes as a substitute at Guingamp.
Italy
Salah’s antics aside, it was relatively quiet around Italy. Juan Cuadrado was quiet and frustrated in Juventus’s 1-1 draw with Frosinone and their 2-1 defeat at Napoli, for whom Nathaniel Chalobah was an unused substitute, as he also was away to Carpi earlier in the week, sharing unused backup duties with Wallace, who failed to feature for the hosts again.
Stipe Perica is yet to step foot on the pitch this season and was an unused substitute for Udinese twice more over the past seven days.
Germany
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s atrocious start to the season saw manager Lucien Favre resign after last weekend’s defeat at Köln, casting doubt on Andreas Christensen’s immediate future. He took his place at the heart of their defence against Augsburg and Stuttgart under caretaker manager Andre Schubert and played well in their first two wins of the campaign, which should at the very least bode well for his chances of earning playing time going forward.
Belgium
The Belgian Cup provided an opportunity for Joao Rodriguez and Cristian Cuevas to get much-needed minutes under their belts; both played ninety in a 1-0 home win over Bocholt. They were back on the bench at the weekend, and the rested Victorien Angban restored to the starting eleven, as STVV went to Anderlecht. Things didn’t quite go to plan though, Anderlecht winning 1-0 and Angban earning a red card ten minutes from time after an incident involving Imoh Ezekiel. Rodriguez got on for half an hour, Cuevas didn’t.
Cristian Manea still hasn’t featured for Mouscron at all.
Portugal
Uli Dávila played the last fifteen minutes for Vitória Setúbal at Nacional.
Scotland
Islam Feruz missed two Hibernian matches this week through injury.
Turkey
Kenneth Omeruo was rested for Kasimpasa’s Turkish Cup tie and is expected back in their starting eleven for tomorrow night’s match against Rizespor. You can keep up to date with anything he does by following @chelseayouth on Twitter.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Matej Delač helped FK Sarajevo overcome Zrinjski on penalties in the Bosnian Cup (he didn’t manage to save a kick) before keeping another clean sheet in a much more comfortable 4-0 triumph at home to Vitez.