A couple of interesting loan deals have been concluded int the last couple of days.

Late last night it was confirmed that Southend have loaned our left winger Robert Milsom, an Academy graduate who made his first appearance in the otherwise forgettable defeat at Burnley. Milsom, 21, spent a month on loan at Griffin Park last season making six league appearances. He is expected to be back at the Cottage in January. Roy Hodgson has said the opportunity to play first-team football will be perfect for the youngster.

Our reserve team goalkeeper David Stockdale, signed from Darlington in the summer, has also been loaned out to see some first team action this time at Rotherham United. The Millers, struggling in League 2 after a points deduction, have put him straight in their squad for this afternoon’s game with Bradford as a replacement for the injured Andy Warrington. Manager Mark Robins said:

I’ve not brought Stockdale in to kick his heels on the bench.

There were a couple of teams after him and I am pleased he has chosen us.

It also seems like defender Gabriel Zakuani could be on his way out. He joined Peterborough United on a temporary basis at the start of the season, having spent last year at Championship promotion winners Stoke, and young manager Darren Ferguson is confident of tying up a long-term deal to bring Zakuani to the club.

The DR Congo centre-back hasn’t really had much of a look in since signing from Leyton Orient, for whom he impressed in our 2005 FA Cup third round defeat, and has been ridiculed on the TIFF website as being another example of Coleman’s misuse of the transfer funds he was given. That might be a bit harsh but £1m did seem a lot of money to pay for an unproven League 2 defender.

Football League rules prevent a deal being concluded until the transfer window so Zakuani will briefly return to Fulham but Ferguson was quoted in the Evening Standard as being confident that the deal is nearing completion.

Gabby’s agreed he’s going to sign permanently, we’ve just got to iron out a few things.

It’s a big signing for the club and shows where we want to go. He’s an out and out defender, but he also knows he can improve.