Plymouth Argyle must be considering Lincoln City action | OneFootball

Saxon Earley's loan spell at Sincil Bank is yet to bring the results Argyle would have wanted

When Plymouth Argyle sent Saxon Earley to Lincoln City over the summer, the Greens would have hoped that the young fullback would get the chance to prove himself after a succession of injuries.

Having made an initial impact after moving from Norwich City in January 2023, the 22-year-old has since suffered severe ankle issues, which saw him limited to just a single league appearance throughout the previous campaign, with that being a 0-0 draw with Watford in August of last year.

With his rehabilitation thought to have been going well in pre-season, a stint with the Imps was believed to be the best avenue into getting him back into shape, but more injury woes and a lack of first-team action has hampered those plans massively.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Argyle must be debating whether to allow Earley to move elsewhere for the second-half of the campaign, with very few benefits being had from him sitting on the bench at Sincil Bank.

Saxon Early injury issues return at Lincoln City

Earley has managed just three appearances in all competitions during his time with Michael Skubala’s side, with his only start coming in a 2-1 win over Grimsby Town in the EFL Trophy back in October.

With the likes of Dom Jeffries, Erik Ring, Tendayi Darikwa and Dylan Duffy all competing for wingback slots in Skubala’s preferred formation that utilises three centre-backs, Earley is far from top of the pecking order as it stands, and has struggled to get a look in during his time at Sincil Bank.

His cause hasn’t been helped by a new injury concern of late, with Argyle Boss Wayne Rooney confirming that the player has suffered a back injury, which has seen him ruled out of contention for a starting spot.

The Pilgrims boss told Plymouth Live: "We asked a couple of times actually and he had a back injury.

“Hopefully he gets that right and gets playing because obviously the reason you send players out on loan is to play. If he doesn't get more game time it's something maybe we have to look at."

Plymouth Argyle must take January action with Saxon Earley

As Rooney eludes to, the club need to do something about Earley’s situation in January, with the young defender’s development only going to be hindered by failing to feature time and time again.

If Argyle wanted him to sit on the bench and have a watching brief, they could have kept him in their own squad for the current campaign, so to have him failing to break through elsewhere seems like a pointless exercise.

There will likely be plenty of third tier sides who would be willing to take the fullback for the remainder of the campaign should he become available, with a successful stint at Stevenage in the 22/23 campaign where he really began to catch the eye.

With two goals in his first nine appearances in green before injury struck, Earley is a player who has bags of energy, and a love of bombing forward on the flanks, and knows exactly where to be to latch onto crosses from the opposite side of the pitch - something that is so useful in the modern game.

He may have his fitness concerns, but when he is at his best he is more than a valuable asset for any side in League One, and giving him the opportunity to prove that once again should be on the Pilgrims’ agenda in January, before he can look to compete for a first team spot back at Home Park in the summer.