Hartlepool United loan pair Brad Young and Aaron Cunningham self-isolating due to coronavirus case at Blyth Spartans as Dave Challinor admits 'they could come back'

Centre-back Cunningham and goalkeeper Young have been on loan at Blyth since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Cunningham has played 10 matches in the National League North so far this campaign with Young starting eight games. But a positive coronavirus case has kept Blyth out of action so far in 2021 as their players have been forced to self-isolate until Thursday, January 7.

As a result, the Pools’ loanees have been staying away from Victoria Park and the club’s East Durham College training ground.

“Blyth have been massively unfortunate with Covid cases so Aaron and Brad have been self-isolating,” Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor told The Mail.

“For Aaron, even in the game he played he got a bit of a gash on his ankle which needed some treatment because it was quite a deep cut.

"He’s not training at the moment alongside his isolation but he could potentially be able to be back involved for Blyth’s next game [against Alfreton Town]. From our perspective, everybody else is training with us which is a good place to be.”

Injuries have caused Pools to be short of bodies on occasions this season, particularly in defence. And with Tyler Magloire’s loan from Blackburn Rovers set to end following Saturday’s match at home to Wealdstone, a place in the starting line-up could open up.

And Challinor hasn’t ruled out recalling both Cunningham and Young this month.

“Of course they could come back,” admitted the Pools boss.

“When you speak to agents, chairman, people like that, there are lots of anomalies and things up in the air. We’ve got loans which are due to expire and short term deals which we need to know what’s happening there.

"If things don’t get done, it could change the scenarios for different players who are at the club.

"There are different things that will need to be ironed out over the next three weeks or so and then we’ll make decisions over how that sits with the players we’ve got in with us at the moment and the players we’ve got out on loan elsewhere which Aaron and Brad fall into.”

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