Bristol Rovers have received assurances from Middlesbrough that they want striker Josh Coburn to fulfil his season-long loan in BS7, according to manager Joey Barton.
Barton was without Coburn for Saturday's FA Cup win over Rochdale, with Boro informing the Gas they did not want the 19-year-old to be cup-tied. That prompted concerns from supporters that the Championship club could recall Coburn, who has scored three goals in six League One appearances for Rovers, in January.
Coburn was loaned out when Chris Wilder was in charge on Teesside, but he has since been replaced by former Manchester United midfielder Michel Carrick in the dugout and a change in regime could have brought a change in direction for the player's future.
But Barton has revealed discussions have taken place between the two clubs and he expects Coburn to be a Rovers player for the rest of the season, provided his parent club are not hit by a series of injuries between now and the January transfer window. As a bonus, the Gas expect Coburn to be available for the FA Cup second-round tie with Boreham Wood later this month.
"You want to keep all the players you bring in because you put so much work into them, certainly with the younger players, but that is the job, it is to get them closer to their first team and you do understand when clubs recall players or don’t want them cup-tied," Barton said.
"From our perspective, we had a couple of good conversations with the guys at Middlesbrough this week and barring a bad run of injuries or whatever, it looks like we will be able to keep hold of him for the season.
"(They had) a new manager went in and we found out they did want Josh to play (in the FA Cup). You have to respect that and he doesn’t play.
"We had a couple of conversations at chief scout and board level about their plans for January and once we started the conversation, in the midst of that they won a couple of games, so they are bit clearer on their picture and they think it’s for the best, ‘No, no, that’s why we sent him to you, we think he needs a season on loan, we think it will benefit his development for us later on if he gets a full season’.
"They feel he can play in the second round now. We won’t know until we get there and they give us permission, but because it hasn’t come from the manager yet and it hasn’t come for other people – directors and chief scouts – but if it comes from the manager we’re hoping he can be available in the Boreham Wood game.
"That could change in January, even if he is because they could get some bad luck, but we’re hoping Josh is with us for the season.
"I think the boy wants to be here, the powers that be at Middlesbrough want him to be here, the only thing that is stopping him is probably a bit of bad luck or picking up a serious injury himself, so fingers crossed he is here for the year."
Coburn has impressed since making his Rovers debut last month. He joined the Gas on a season-long loan on deadline day but had to wait to make his debut because of a knee injury he sustained on the opening day of the campaign playing for Boro.
The 6ft 3in forward has shown a high level of technical ability to go with his natural strength and size, working nicely with Ryan Loft and Aaron Collins when available. With Loft likely to miss out against Fleetwood Town on Saturday due to a hamstring injury, Coburn is set to come straight back into the starting XI.
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