The transfer window for clubs in the EFL may be closed until January, but it is still quite open for clubs in the National League and below. Who could the Sky Blues try to move away at this time?
It’s true that Mark Robins’ club is now suffering with an extended injury crisis. Players from the first team, like Ben Sheaf, Milan Van Ewijk, and Kasey Palmer, are all sidelined with injuries, and Callum O’Hare and Fabio Tavares have yet to make a comeback.
Some of Coventry City’s U21s squad were loaned out to Non-League teams last season, with players including Blaine Rowe (Falkirk), Marco Rus (Hereford & Chorley), and Jay McGrath (St. Patricks Athletic) all having productive seasons.
Having said that, there are still a number of players in the club’s U21 team that might either be loaned out or are nearing a point in their development where they must go out and play for the first time in their careers against men’s first-team competition.
I’ve chosen to analyze each player separately for this list, and I’ve only chosen the five who, in my opinion, are genuinely the most likely to leave the Sky Blues on loan between now and January, especially given that the U21s will be taking a break in December.
I’ve chosen five players, so let’s look at them.
Cian Tyler, a former Welsh youth international, is, in my opinion, the first player to make the list. Last season, the 6’8″ goalkeeper spent a brief amount of time on loan with Hereford of the National League North, but injury prevented him from playing as frequently as he would have liked.
Since the first team has three goalkeepers in addition to Luke Bell and Charlie Callaghan, who are also young goalies, there is an opportunity for the Sky Blues to loan Cian Tyler out in an effort to give him some much-needed first-team time.
Full-back Could Dermi Lusala follow in the footsteps of his former teammate Blaine Rowe and seek for a senior loan exit in an effort to obtain some experience playing for the men’s first team? He was not present for Coventry’s recent U21 victory over Hull City.
Lusala spent a brief period with Non-League club Barwell last season, and if the chance occurred, the former Tottenham Hotspur player would be eager to secure a loan move to the fifth or sixth tier. Could this open up the possibility for Lusala to go on loan given that Coventry has also employed trialists thus far?
Evan Eghosa, a playmaker for the U21s, is another midfielder who might go out on loan from the Sky Blues. During preseason, the offensive midfielder played a significant role for the club’s first squad and received high praise from coach Mark Robins.
Eghosa just agreed to his first professional deal with the Sky Blues, and this season, he has played every minute for the club’s U21 team. Eghosa could, however, benefit from this opportunity to move out on loan to a National League North/South team and experience men’s first-team football
.The midfielder Marco Rus, who has been vying for a spot in the first squad after successful loan stints with Hereford and Chorley last season and being named captain of the U21s, may be the most likely candidate on this list.
Rus fell down the pecking order, sadly, because he was unable to practice or play in friendlies due to an injury he sustained during the preseason. He has subsequently regained his previous level of fitness, though, and has made enough progress to warrant consideration for a move to the National League.
Andrews, Kai
Another U21 player who might seek for a loan move in the coming weeks is the club’s scorer Kai Andrews. Andrews was instrumental in preseason, missing just one friendly, and made his first-team debut last month during Coventry’s 3-0 Championship victory against Middlesbrough.
Andrews clearly has Mark Robins’ and the club’s staff’s support after making his first-team debut, but he still needs men’s experience. The window is open for Andrews to go out on loan in the upcoming weeks given that Justin Obikwu, a fellow forward from the U21s, is now a regular squad member due to Fabio Tavares’ injury.
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