Neil Critchley: Blackpool have discussed extending stay of Arsenal loanee Dan Ballard

Neil Critchley says the possibility of extending Dan Ballard’s Blackpool loan has already been discussed.
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Critchley lauds best Blackpool performance of season against Portsmouth

Despite having his game- time limited by suspension and international call-ups, the Arsenal defender has made a lasting impact at Bloomfield Road.

The 21-year-old’s loan is due to end on January 31 but Pool will be keen to keep him for a longer spell.

Dan Ballard impressed for Northern Ireland against Romania last monthDan Ballard impressed for Northern Ireland against Romania last month
Dan Ballard impressed for Northern Ireland against Romania last month
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Asked ahead of Tuesday's League One victory over Portsmouth whether Ballard’s loan could be extended, Pool boss Critchley told The Gazette: “Possibly, yes. Obviously there are a lot of games between now and the end of January but it’s something we’ve spoken about already.

“It’s something we’re well aware of in terms of his situation, so we’re on top of it.”

Ballard returned to Blackpool’s starting line-up for Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup second-round win at Harrogate Town and also played the full 90 minutes in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Pompey.

These were the centre-back's first appearances for Critchley’s side since being shown a straight red card in the 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon in October. Ballard also gained plaudits for both his displays for Northern Ireland last month and Critchley added: “Dan plays like a leader.

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“He plays with real personality and character on the pitch and he never takes a step backwards. He’s a warrior.

“We knew Harrogate were going to play from back to front quite quickly and get a lot of set-pieces into the box, and he defended those moments really well.

“I was really pleased with his performance on Saturday, but I was with a lot of the players because it was a really good team performance.”

One man who hasn’t been involved for Blackpool this season is Joe Nuttall, who is recovering from a knee injury.

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The 23-year-old joined Northampton Town on loan at the start of the season but has played only 36 minutes as a substitute in the defeat by Hull City in September.

While still a Northampton player, Nuttall has returned to Blackpool for surgery and recuperation.

Critchley said: “He’s back with us doing his rehab here, so he’s being looked after by Stuart Irwin, our physio.

“He’s had an operation and he’s about six weeks post-op, so he’s still got a period of time to go but he’s still with us.

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“He’s still on loan with Northampton and the agreement is still the same, but because he’s contracted to us we look after his rehabilitation period.

“If and when he’s fit, that’s when we’ll have a discussion with Northampton to see when he’ll return.”

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