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One loanee was denied being a hit at Ewood Park by injury

Blackburn Rovers have once again been proactive in the loan market during the summer transfer window.

By the time of the deadline on 30th August, the club had completed three loan signings, in the form of Liverpool's Owen Beck, Brighton's Amario Cozier-Duberry and Stoke's Lewis Baker.

With the club aiming to build on a promising start to the campaign, those at Ewood Park will be hoping those players can make a positive impact during their stints in Lancashire.

Indeed, those signings will not be short on examples of previous loanees who have enjoyed successful spells at Blackburn for them to look to.

Rovers have had recent success in the loan market

Over the past few seasons, a number of loan players have made themselves popular at Ewood Park after successful spells with the club.

Harvey Elliott, Tosin Adarabioyo, Harrison Reed, and Jan Paul van Hecke - who even won Rovers' Player of the Year award during his time in Lancashire - have all impressed.

All have since gone on to become established players in the Premier League, who are still well-remembered and followed by many of a Blackburn persuasion.

However, one of the club's other loan signings missed out on the chance to earn such status, due to his own injury frustrations.

Greg Cunningham's Blackburn spell was halted by injury

Back in August 2019, Rovers completed the signing of Greg Cunningham on loan from Championship rivals Cardiff City.

With Derrick Williams and Amari'i Bell also on the books at Ewood Park at the time, there was plenty of competition for a place in the squad for the left-back.

However, Cunningham did not take long to establish himself in Tony Mowbray's starting lineup at Ewood Park.

After missing the trip to Fulham just two days after he signed, the Republic of Ireland international started each of the next ten Blackburn games he was eligible for, across all competitions.

Only missing the clash with parent club Cardiff that he was not allowed to play in, a string of impressive performances made him a first-choice starter.

They also ensured that Cunningham became a well-liked figure among the Blackburn fanbase, with his effort and his ability to make him a key man at Ewood Park.

Indeed, there were many at the club who quickly began to express a desire to see the left-back complete a permanent move to Blackburn.

All that would change when just 17 minutes into a game away at QPR in early October 2019, Cunningham was forced off due to injury.

It was later revealed that the left-back had suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, that ruled him out of action for the rest of the 2019/20 season.

As a result, Cunningham's loan spell with Blackburn was cut short in January 2020, with the left-back returning to his parent club to continue his recovery.

In doing so, what had begun as a highly promising loan spell ended early under frustrating circumstances that nobody could have done much about, with injury striking at the wrong time.

Indeed, Cunningham would not return to Blackburn again, instead re-signing for Preston North End in January 2021, before moving back to Ireland to sign for Galway United this summer.

As a result, that injury prevented the left-back from really making the impact he looked as though he would at Ewood Park.

Meanwhile, fitness and competition for places during his second spell at Preston meant he did not always play regularly there, he was also unable to thrive after his spell with Rovers, as others have.

With that in mind, it does seem as though the injury Cunningham suffered in that game at QPR, not only cost Blackburn a useful option on the pitch that season but also prevented him from earning the sort of iconic status that other loanees have built for themselves at Ewood Park in recent years.