Shrewsbury pondering Julien Dacosta’s future

The defender arrived at the Meadow on a season-long loan deal from Coventry City, but despite a bright start at the club the Frenchman has struggled with injury problems which have seen him feature just twice since August.

With the arrival of Killian Phillips on loan from Crystal Palace earlier this month, it means Town now have six loan players in the squad and only five are allowed to be named in the matchday 18. And with the transfer window open, Cotterill says it is still unclear what will happen with the wing-back this month, he could make the switch the Meadow permanently until the end of the season, but equally he could return to his parent club.

“I think what I have done there is I have had a private chat with Julien that needs to stay private with him because it could go one way or another” Cotterill explained after his side went 11th in League One after their win over Cambridge at the weekend. “He could either be going back because he could go somewhere else, or he could be staying here, and it is really like that at this moment in time.

“As I have said before there are ways maybe we could get around it by making him a permanent transfer to the end of the season.

“I did say I would speak to Mark Robbins nearer the time, I have already spoken to him about it, and I think Coventry would accommodate that. All being well as long as it suits both parties, and it must suit Julien as well.”

Town romped to a 5-1 thrashing of Cambridge United at the weekend after a brace from Luke Leahy, outstanding individual goals from Jordan Shipley and Christian Saydee and another header from Matthew Pennington.

And it meant Town had scored nine goals in their last 180 minutes, a real positive as they head into an important week for their season.

It was reported last week that Dacosta’s loan deal could be cut short, as Shrewsbury look to make room for new arrivals to come into the Meadow.

But the Salop boss has cleared up the situation suggesting nothing has been sorted yet and that could be agent talk.

He said: “The fact that is out there, that could be agent talk, to alert other clubs without someone going on the transfer list, so I don’t know why that is out there.

“But if it is out there then it is out there, so the most important thing that is I have spoken to Julien’s agent and I have spoken to Julien, and we are all on the same page.

“Other bits and bobs of gossip. I can’t do anything about that getting out there.”