Inigo Calderon has admitted that he doesn’t know whether loanee Jake Garrett will be recalled by Blackburn Rovers this month after the midfielder failed to make the squad for the Gas’ 3-2 defeat to Leyton Orient despite a shortage of available personnel in the middle of the park.
Garrett has made just seven appearances in League One for Bristol Rovers this season, starting only three times and has played only 34 minutes of football since the start of October, failing to make the squad in 10 of the Gas’ last 17 matches.
The 21-year-old hasn’t been selected for either of Calderon’s first two games in charge, a 3-0 defeat at Stevenage and the 3-2 loss to Orient on New Year’s Day, but was on the bench at Exeter City on Boxing Day with the loanee’s last appearance being a cameo in the reverse fixture against the O’s at Brisbane Road on December 3.
When asked about Garrett’s situation, Calderon remained tight-lipped, saying: “That’s not a question for me but I don’t know. I’m not sure about that.”
The expectation is for Blackburn to recall their youth product at some point this month now that the transfer window is open after an unsuccessful stint in BS7.
It is understood that the Championship side were hopeful that the 21-year-old would be a regular starter in League One having played a combined 29 games in the second tier over the previous two seasons. However, a mixture of some underwhelming displays and an unfortunate lack of opportunities under former manager Matt Taylor has meant that Garrett hasn’t been able to receive the desired levels of experience on the pitch.
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The partnership of Kamil Conteh and Jamie Lindsay has kept the midfielder out of the side while Grant Ward has often been preferred as an option on the bench. However, both Conteh and Lindsay were unavailable for Rovers’ defeat on New Year’s Day through injury and suspension respectively, yet Garrett still wasn’t selected.
Admittedly, having been confirmed as the Gas’ new head coach only on Boxing Day while also taking charge of two games already, Calderon’s focus has likely been elsewhere but the lack of selection amid a notable midfield shortage suggests that a recall is likely.
Should Garrett return to Blackburn, that would free up a loan spot for Rovers this month with Josh Griffiths (West Brom), Gatlin O’Donkor (Oxford United), Lino Sousa (Aston Villa) and Michael Forbes (West Ham) the other loanees currently at the club.
Clubs can have more than five loanees, as was the case in the second half of last season for the Gas when they had six after three deadline day arrivals, but cannot name more than five within a matchday squad.