Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer has refused to be drawn on the future of Chelsea loanee Juan Castillo ahead of the January window.
Juan Castillo linked up with Birmingham City on loan in the summer, giving him the chance to pick up first-team experience away from Chelsea.
However, since linking up with the Blues, the left-back’s stint hasn’t gone quote as many would have hoped.
Across all competitions, Castillo has played just four times, with his only two starts coming in Carabao Cup games against Colchester United and Fulham.
READ: Every Birmingham City transfer rumour ahead of the January transfer window
Now, Birmingham City boss Lee Bowyer has been questioned on the former Dutch youth international’s immediate future at St. Andrews.
As quoted by Birmingham Live, Bowyer insisted that Chelsea loanee Castillo has progressed well after arriving overweight before suffering an injury. He was then asked about his immediate future, refusing to be drawn before insisting that his job is to ensure he returns to Stamford Bridge a better player.
Here’s what he had to say:
“I don’t think it’s fair to go that deep into conversations about individual players.
“What I would say is since he has been here he has improved as a player and is a lot fitter now.
“For as long as he is here, whether it’s until January or it is until the summer, we will keep working hard with him and when he finally does go back to Chelsea he will be a better player than the one that arrived.”
Competition for a starting spot
Jeremie Bela has been the go-to option on the left-hand side, though he did switch over to the right-hand side when Castillo came on for Marcel Oakley in the 0-0 draw with Coventry City.
Now that he is back in contention, it will be interesting to see if Castillo can force his way into Bowyer’s starting XI before his loan situation is reassessed.
He arrived as a promising loan addition after impressing in Chelsea’s academy, so it will be hoped he can display his dangerous best with the Blues.
