Manchester United sent out a large number of players on loan in January, shifting a mix of fringe players and promising youngsters.
If you were to ask fans whose progress we were most excited about, the answer would not have been Jadon Sancho or Donny van de Beek, two expensive players with no future at Old Trafford.
Instead, the big hope was FA Youth Cup winning youngster Dan Gore, who made his first team debut in the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace.
Amid plenty of competition, Manchester United decided to send him out on loan to Port Vale. But it has not gone well.
Dan Gore loan so far
Dan Gore has seen his progress at League One side Port Vale stunted by injury. He has barely featured at all.
The 19-year-old central midfielder has only been able to make one appearance so far, back on January 27, playing 54 minutes against Portsmouth.
Gore has been out ever since, and timelines on his potential return appear to be getting further and further away. Now there is no guarantee he plays again this season.
There has been a change of manager during this time, with Darren Moore hired after Andy Crosby was fired.
Dan Gore injury update
Port Vale manager Moore has cast doubt on whether Dan Gore will play at all for the club again this season.
He was quoted by The MEN: “With Dan Gore, that’s an ongoing, persistent problem. Whether we feel he’s going to be back for any part of this season, we’re not too sure.
“It’s not looking too good for him at the moment and it’s a persistent one that we’ll still monitor.”
Worst case scenario for United and Gore
This is a worst case scenario for Manchester United with a view to the 19-year-old’s development. Gore had impressed in pre-season and made progress in the first half of the campaign with a first team debut. All that positive momentum has now been lost.
There is not a lot to salvage from Gore’s campaign now, and it is just important that the midfielder recovers to full fitness.
Another loan move is likely next season, where he will hope to enjoy more luck. If he gets another opportunity in pre-season, Gore will have to seize it, if he wants to follow Mainoo into the team.