Harrison Armstrong to return to Preston on loan?

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom expects Harrison Armstrong to return to the club.

Everton had recalled the teenager from his loan spell in light of the several injuries and absences plaguing the squad. Armstrong played every single match since returning to Merseyside and impressed hugely against Wolves, Sunderland and Aston Villa.

He played the full 120 minutes against Sunderland in the FA Cup where he was one of the Toffees' standout players, before playing another full 90 in the excellent 1-0 win at Villa Park.

He has attracted praise from his teammates as well as manager David Moyes. “It was a big game for Harrison. He stepped up and he’s doing well for such a young player,” said the Everton boss after their latest Premier League win.

However, with Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye returning from AFCON as well as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall inching closer to a return, Armstrong could end up returning to Preston to play out the remainder of the season on loan in the Championship.

Asked about Armstrong after the 3-0 defeat to Hull City, “Yeah, at the minute, as it stands, we're all expecting him to come back,” said Heckingbottom.

“Yeah, but that can change, do you know what I mean?,” said Heckingbottom. “As it stands at the minute, yeah, the plan was for him to come and get good experience, a lot of game time.

“He's done himself no harm playing there; I'm watching him play and how well he's doing. But that's not a surprise to David (Moyes) and the people at Everton. They know what they've got, but they're also aware that unless David's going to be using him, he'll probably come here and get all his game time with us.”

While competition for a spot in the XI is expected to be stronger with the return of the players currently out injured, Armstrong has shown enough intelligence, composure and awareness to stand out and get enough minutes in the second half of the season.

At the very least, he’s a great option to be called on from the bench for regular minutes and provides depth to a squad that has been frequently hampered by injuries.