Preston North End loan watch: How PNE's loaned out players have been getting on

Early in the campaign they allowed Tom Bayliss to drop down a division into League One to join Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan.

First-team opportunities had been limited for Bayliss throughout his time at PNE since signing from Coventry City for a reported £1.2m fee in August 2019.

It was a slow start for the midfielder at Wigan but he’s now established himself in their starting XI.

Bayliss started six games in a row before sitting out the midweek Papa John’s Trophy win over Shrewsbury.

Injuries to Tom Naylor and Jordan Cousins opened the door for him in the engine room, with regular watchers reporting the 22-year-old is providing lots of energy and helping Wigan break forward.

If Bayliss stays the full season at the DW Stadium, he still has 12 months after that on his PNE contract.

So in terms of making an impact at North End, there is still time on his side.

Another Preston player on loan in the EFL is Connor Ripley, the goalkeeper with League Two side Salford.

He played the seventh game of his emergency loan spell against Scunthorpe on Saturday, that finishing in a 1-1 draw.

Ripley initially joined the Ammies on a seven-day loan in October to cover an injury to first-team keeper Tom King.

That has been extended on a rolling basis, a week at a time, to cover King’s absence.

It’s a shop window chance for Ripley who isn’t in PNE’s 25-man squad and who is out of contract next summer.

Jack Baxter is on loan with Radcliffe in the NPL Premier Division and the 20-year-old midfielder played in their FA Trophy win with Nuneaton on Saturday..

First-year professionals Joe Rodwell-Grant and Lewis Coulton are on loan at Bamber Bridge.

Although Brig were without a match this weekend, both got game time elsewhere on Saturday.

Left-back Coulton played in Scotland Under-19s 3-0 victory over Gibraltar, a game played in Croatia. The Scots played Croatia on Tuesday.

Rodwell-Grant turned out for PNE’s Under-19s and scored in their 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers.

The terms of the striker's youth loan at Brig allows him to still turn out for North End's youth team or reserves.

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