Villans on Tour: The Aston Villa loan report

The downside to appointing a new manager is that some players just don't fit in with the new system, and given that Tim Sherwood is Villa's fifth in six years, there are a fair few players from both the youth academy and the old regimes out on loan. This article will take a look at how they are getting on.

Gary Gardner

The first player we look at is perhaps the one with the most potential of all the loanees, Gary Gardner. Gardner has seemingly spent more time away from Villa than he has at the club, indeed, his current spell on loan at Nottingham Forest is his fourth in as many seasons . His Forest side fell short last weekend, losing 2-1 to Ipswich Town following a later Freddie Sears goal. Nevertheless,Gardner is enjoying something of a breakout season at Forest, featuring 17 times and scoring four goals since his January arrival.

All season, Villa have been desperate for a midfielder who could create and score goals. Gardner offers more creatively than Ashley Westwood and Carlos Sanchez do, although he possibly isn't as good defensively. Nevertheless, he can be a valued member of the first team squad, especially if Tim Sherwood doesn't manage or even attempt to retain the services of Tom Cleverley, with Everton touted as a possible destination for the Manchester United loanee.

Nicklas Helenius

After a largely disappointing, albeit limited debut season under Paul Lambert, Helenius was shipped back to his former side, Aalborg BK on a season long loan. However, it later emerged that Helenius was suffering from physical and mental illness , which explained why he only featured three times in the league.

However, his return to Denmark has seen the 23 year old regain the form that attracted Villa in the first place. Last weekend he scored his fifth of the season as Aalborg defeated Sønderjyske 3-0. In the long term, it is unknown whether Helenius will return to the club, given that his first season in Birmingham was blighted by troubles.

Janoi Donacien

Thus far in his Aston Villa career, Donacien has yet to make his first team debut, although he did feature prominently in the youth side that won the NextGen Series in 2012. However, despite featuring on the substitutes bench a few times last season, Donacien was sent out on loan to Tranmere Rovers this season and, whilst he featured 29 times for the club, he was unable to prevent the club's relegation from the Football League following a 3-2 defeat to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Given that Donacien was part of a talented group of youngsters that won the NextGen Cup, it would be tough to see him leave Villa without accomplishing much. Sadly, he hasn't set the world alight during his time at Tranmere, especially given that he featured in the defence of the worst team of 92 in the Football League. Whilst Tim Sherwood may give him some playing time in pre-season, it is perhaps more likely that Janoi goes the way of Samir Carruthers rather than Jack Grealish.

Graham Burke and Enda Stevens

The two Irish men are paired together as they faced off against each other last weekend, as Burke's Notts County defeated Stevens' Doncaster Rovers. Burke played the full 90 minutes, securing an assist for teammate Garry Thompson to score the opener in a game that finished 2-1. Stevens, who has featured regularly for Doncaster this season was this weekend an unused sub.

The best of the rest

Darren Bent missed out on Derby County's 3-3 draw with Millwall through injury.

Callum Robinson featured in the last five minutes of Preston's 3-0 win over Swindon.

Yacouba Sylla's Kayseri Erciyesspor played out a 1-1 draw with Balıkesirspor in the Turkish Super Lig.

There were no appearances for Antonio Luna, Joe Bennett, Lewis Kinsella or Aleksandar Tonev this week.