‘Wait and see’ - League Two boss admits uncertainty over future of Fulham loan man

Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson has admitted the future of Fulham loanee Sonny Hilton is out of his control. The 21-year-old linked up with the League Two side in the summer to get some experience under his belt.

He has since struggled with injury during his time at Brunton Park but has managed to play nine times to date, six of which have come in the league. As with all loan players, there is always uncertainty over their situation heading into a new transfer window.

Simpson has told Carlisle’s website: “Sonny [Hilton] and Ben [Barclay] haven’t had as much game time as they want, but they’ve both been hampered by injuries. Sonny was excellent at Newport and so unlucky that his ankle went down there.

“With every loan player there’s an element of risk because they all come with that recall option during the winter window. If any of them tell their clubs that they aren’t happy, that can change things as well, so again, let’s wait and see.”

Fulham signed Hilton from Tranmere Rovers as a youngster in 2016 and he has since been on the books of the London outfit for six years. He has been a regular for their development squad in the past but is yet to make a first-team appearance.

He was given the green light to leave on a temporary basis for the first time last year when Finnish side Turun Palloseura came calling. The Liverpudlian went on to make 11 appearances during his time in Scandinavia before heading back home.

Hilton will be eager to get some more minutes with Carlisle but his future there depends on whether he is happy staying in Cumbria and/or Fulham want a change of scene. The Cumbrians’ clash against Northampton Town, who have Kieron Bowie on loan from Craven Cottage, has been postponed this weekend due to a frozen pitch.