The January 2026 Transfer Window

[davulsukur]

6 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Good news everyone

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25767824.blackburn-rovers-injury-boost-potential-transfer-impact/

 

Blackburn Rovers have received a timely injury boost with hopes that Ryan Hedges will play again this season after undergoing surgery this week.

The Welshman suffered a fractured fibula against Wrexham on New Year's Day. That sparked concern that he could be out for the rest of the 2025/26 season.

Rovers were waiting on Hedges' surgery to discover whether he'd be out for eight weeks or 16. That rested on potential damage to his syndesmosis, a joint that provides stability in the ankle.

"The only problem is that normally when the fibula is fractured, the syndesmosis is injured as well. But on the first scan, we didn't see anything," Ismael said at the time.

"Some specialists say it's more likely that something happened again. So we will only see when he gets into the surgery. Then to see what damage he had.

"So actually, the bracket will be for sure eight weeks. It might go to 16 weeks if the syndesmosis is injured."

Hedges underwent the surgery earlier this week, performed by the same specialist who recently performed a similar operation on Liverpool star Aleksandar Isak.

The initial prognosis is positive, with strong hopes that Hedges will feature again for Rovers this season. Whilst a definite timescale is impossible to predict, there's optimism that Hedges' absence will be a couple of months rather than the worst possible scenario.

The 30-year-old will be in a cast for the next few weeks and will then be in a protective boot. After a further six to eight weeks, his progress will be assessed before a return to training.

It gives Rovers more breathing space in the transfer market. Ismael had suggested that if Hedges' season was over, they would have to replace him this month.

However, this news means there is less urgency to do so. Harry Pickering, Yuri Ribeiro and Dion De Neve can all play in that role, though none fit the role as well as Hedges.

Strikers remain the priority for Rovers this month, with Ismael keen to sign two. The head coach had targeted 'two or three' of their 'three or four' signings to be through the door by now but that hasn't proven possible.

Andri Gudjohnsen is expected to return at the end of the month after returning to light training following his hamstring problem. He was initially ruled out for five weeks and so the game against Hull City on January 31 is a realistic aim for him.

Ryoya Morishita could be back at a similar juncture, as well as Adam Forshaw. Hayden Carter is back in training but Rovers will manage his recovery with several Under-21 matches.

Although I don't wish injury on any player, this isn't great news as far as i'm concerned, so we might get Hedges back for the last 5 games of the season, which means we won't bother to sign a LWB in January.

Hedges is out of contract in the summer anyway, we need a LWB urgently

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, ... said:

That's it we're going up ✋️🤚

lol 🙂 

[KentExile]

5 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Although I don't wish injury on any player, this isn't great news as far as i'm concerned, so we might get Hedges back for the last 5 games of the season, which means we won't bother to sign a LWB in January.

Hedges is out of contract in the summer anyway, we need a LWB urgently

I don't disagree

I think we needs 2 strikers (genuine competition/bench options at worst), a starting left wing back, right wing back cover, and Tronstad cover, but I don't hold out much hope of half of those being filled to an adequate level

Edited 3 hours ago by KentExile

[davulsukur]

23 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I don't disagree

I think we needs 2 strikers (genuine competition/bench options at worst), a starting left wing back, right wing back cover, and Tronstad cover, but I don't hold out much hope of half of those being filled to an adequate level

Yep, I agree with all of that

[Ricceh]

Oh, not fully fit? Ryan Hardie?

[BankEnd Rover]

2 minutes ago, Ricceh said:

Oh, not fully fit? Ryan Hardie?

Can see that TBH.

[sharpysharps86]

15 minutes ago, Ricceh said:

Oh, not fully fit? Ryan Hardie?

0 league goals this season so that's definitely happening 😅

[alcd]

1 hour ago, ... said:

Gueye take the piss or Szmodics take the piss

This timeline given for Hedges recovery indicates that he won't even return to training until mid April at the earliest. The idea that he can be of any use in this relegation fight is just bizarre and laughable. As usual the fans are just being gaslit aided and abetted by the LT so called newspaper. 

[...]

5 minutes ago, alcd said:

This timeline given for Hedges recovery indicates that he won't even return to training until mid April at the earliest. The idea that he can be of any use in this relegation fight is just bizarre and laughable. As usual the fans are just being gaslit aided and abetted by the LT so called newspaper. 

We've seen the fluffing up of players before using a return from injury as something to be excited about. We need players through the door at this point. 

[roversfan99]

This Hedges situation seems totally bizarre. It makes no difference if he is out for 2 or 4 months in that we are going to be without a left wing back for a significant period of time. Even for the odd game, both Pickering and Ribeiro have shown that they cannot play that position and De Neve is nowhere near it. A new left wing back has to be non negotiable.

This really cryptic rumour seems to have grown legs but it seems to be chinese whispers. Nixon's shared comment seems to be a case of, I cant say no in case something is happening, but I clearly am not aware of anything.

Ryan Hardie has been mentioned above. He has played 12 minutes of football in 2 months and is injured. Should make it a no go straight away.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, KentExile said:

Good news everyone

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25767824.blackburn-rovers-injury-boost-potential-transfer-impact/

 

Blackburn Rovers have received a timely injury boost with hopes that Ryan Hedges will play again this season after undergoing surgery this week.

The Welshman suffered a fractured fibula against Wrexham on New Year's Day. That sparked concern that he could be out for the rest of the 2025/26 season.

Rovers were waiting on Hedges' surgery to discover whether he'd be out for eight weeks or 16. That rested on potential damage to his syndesmosis, a joint that provides stability in the ankle.

"The only problem is that normally when the fibula is fractured, the syndesmosis is injured as well. But on the first scan, we didn't see anything," Ismael said at the time.

"Some specialists say it's more likely that something happened again. So we will only see when he gets into the surgery. Then to see what damage he had.

"So actually, the bracket will be for sure eight weeks. It might go to 16 weeks if the syndesmosis is injured."

Hedges underwent the surgery earlier this week, performed by the same specialist who recently performed a similar operation on Liverpool star Aleksandar Isak.

The initial prognosis is positive, with strong hopes that Hedges will feature again for Rovers this season. Whilst a definite timescale is impossible to predict, there's optimism that Hedges' absence will be a couple of months rather than the worst possible scenario.

The 30-year-old will be in a cast for the next few weeks and will then be in a protective boot. After a further six to eight weeks, his progress will be assessed before a return to training.

It gives Rovers more breathing space in the transfer market. Ismael had suggested that if Hedges' season was over, they would have to replace him this month.

However, this news means there is less urgency to do so. Harry Pickering, Yuri Ribeiro and Dion De Neve can all play in that role, though none fit the role as well as Hedges.

Strikers remain the priority for Rovers this month, with Ismael keen to sign two. The head coach had targeted 'two or three' of their 'three or four' signings to be through the door by now but that hasn't proven possible.

Andri Gudjohnsen is expected to return at the end of the month after returning to light training following his hamstring problem. He was initially ruled out for five weeks and so the game against Hull City on January 31 is a realistic aim for him.

Ryoya Morishita could be back at a similar juncture, as well as Adam Forshaw. Hayden Carter is back in training but Rovers will manage his recovery with several Under-21 matches.

You get a new low with this mob every single week now.

How do "hopes" someone MIGHT be back before the end of the season take pressure off us in the transfer market?

Even by their reckoning on the best case scenario it's going to be "Six to eight weeks" plus " the next few weeks" then after assessment he MAY be able to return to training.

So say on an extremely optimistic slant he's match fit in 3 months - that takes us to mid April. If he was match fit by 11th of April he'd only be available for the last 5 games, if by the 18th the last 4 games. We could be all but down by then.

And that's assuming someone who's had his leg in a cast//immobile for months is ready to waltz straight back into action almost immediately after resuming training.

Plus, he's probably leaving at the end of the season anyway.

The LT should be ashamed at themselves for writing such bilge. Although Im not surprised as they're probably trying desperately to worm their way back into the Club's good books.

 

[KentExile]

12 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

How do "hopes" someone MIGHT be back before the end of the season take pressure off us in the transfer market?

 

i believe the following is our current official position

[XLM]

7 minutes ago, KentExile said:

i believe the following is our current official position

To be fair I take that article as a sign that even internally they know we're fucked if we don't sign a decent striker, and we can't afford one if we also need to sign a new LWB. Probably even if we don't, but every penny counts when the club has to wash its own face I guess.

Edited 1 hour ago by XLM

[Emerald Isle Rover]

Jackson has had a mare there and is rightly being called out on it. It’s like he’s been told off by the club an now he’s overcompensating to maybe try get back in their good books. No way that article or news can be displayed as positive when our need is now 

[KentExile]

2 minutes ago, Emerald Isle Rover said:

Jackson has had a mare there and is rightly being called out on it. It’s like he’s been told off by the club an now he’s overcompensating to maybe try get back in their good books. No way that article or news can be displayed as positive when our need is now 

Club motto will be amended soon to say "Why do today, that which can be put off until tomorrow?"

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Ricceh said:

Oh, not fully fit? Ryan Hardie?

Recruitment team must have set the filters on their search as " Find another forward player with first name Ryan, surname beginning with "H" who is currently injured".

On a serious note as with Baradji  it's taking the Moneyball approach to new levels to sign players who are going to be unfit for the majority of the time you need them in a time sensitive situation. I thought the idea was to get value for money out of players whose careers might have stalled due to something like injury but who were now fit.

Not ones currently injured.

[KentExile]

One we were linked to a week or two ago, left back/wing back, He has joined Boro for  £300K + 30% sell on

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by KentExile

[Comfortably numb]

8 minutes ago, KentExile said:

One we were linked to a week or two ago, left back/wing back, He has joined Boro for  £300K + 30% sell on

 

 

Munroe has signed for Boro

[RevidgeBlue]

The £3m banked for Hyam at the last minute in the summer seems to have well and truly vanished into the ether.

They couldn't have been relying on a deal for him going through that late in the window so as such any monies received must have been (from their point of view) a completely unexpected bonus.

Yet no sign whatsoever of it this window. And willing stooge Ismael happily went along with it.

[KentExile]

9 minutes ago, KentExile said:

One we were linked to a week or two ago, left back/wing back, He has joined Boro for  £300K + 30% sell on

 

 

Just now, Comfortably numb said:

Munroe has signed for Boro

 

Yes, that's what I said 🙂 

[G Somerset Rover]

14 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

The £3m banked for Hyam at the last minute in the summer seems to have well and truly vanished into the ether.

They couldn't have been relying on a deal for him going through that late in the window so as such any monies received must have been (from their point of view) a completely unexpected bonus.

Yet no sign whatsoever of it this window. And willing stooge Ismael happily went along with it.

A couple hundred £k on the loan fee for the Brighton chap is the most we'll see. Long-term thinking went out of the window the minute those idiots arrived 15 years ago.

[Browjd]

Completely forgot about the Hyam fee! Where has all this money gone?! 

[RevidgeBlue]

6 minutes ago, G Somerset Rover said:

A couple hundred £k on the loan fee for the Brighton chap is the most we'll see. Long-term thinking went out of the window the minute those idiots arrived 15 years ago.

And arguably that couple of hundred k (wouldn't be surprised if it was quite a bit more) didnt even need to be spent given Pratt had come in and done so well.

The agents brokering the Cashin deal will have been happy though.

Edited 1 hour ago by RevidgeBlue

[Comfortably numb]

22 minutes ago, KentExile said:

 

 

Yes, that's what I said 🙂 

Apologies 😄

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, alcd said:

This timeline given for Hedges recovery indicates that he won't even return to training until mid April at the earliest. The idea that he can be of any use in this relegation fight is just bizarre and laughable. As usual the fans are just being gaslit aided and abetted by the LT so called newspaper. 

8 weeks was given as the best case scenario, and that would be mid March not mid April. He still isn't going to be able to contribute much though. It's an awkward one, he has been one of our better players this season, but with the injury you have to question if we should even register him if we are short on spaces by the end of the window.