Doncaster Rovers seek Jordan Houghton loan verdict from Chelsea

Doncaster Rovers expect to receive an answer from Chelsea this week as to whether Jordan Houghton will remain on loan for the rest of the season.
Jordan Houghton was excellent against Hartlepool UnitedJordan Houghton was excellent against Hartlepool United
Jordan Houghton was excellent against Hartlepool United

Houghton has largely impressed in a defensive midfield role since arriving at the start of the season.

The midfielder is with Rovers until January and boss Darren Ferguson is keen to extend the deal.

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“We’re looking to extend the deal,” Ferguson said. “We’ll be having discussions with Chelsea this week and we’ll get an answer this week whether we can do that or not. But certainly I’ll be looking to extend it, no question.”

Ferguson says the situation with Houghton is complicated by the fact he is out of contract with Chelsea at the end of the season.

Fellow loanee Niall Mason – whose temporary switch also ends in January – is in the same situation with parent club Aston Villa.

And Ferguson says the two clubs’ decisions over the loans will be influenced by their thoughts on the futures of the respective players.

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“Those clubs have got to make decisions on their futures and I’ve got to respect that,” he said. “That is where those two probably are, they will be thinking at the moment whether they’ve got a future at their actual clubs.”

Houghton has been key to Rovers’ ability to control games from midfield, something which has evaded them in recent weeks.

But in the win over Hartlepool United at the weekend, they were back to their best – as was Houghton.

“I thought he was very good,” Ferguson said. “We felt we could get it to Jordan given their formation.

“A lot of teams sit with someone on him but the way they play we did a lot of work of getting it into him quickly.

“A lot of the stuff we wanted to do, we did, which I was really pleased with.”