Stoke City boss Mark Robins reveals stance on Nathan Lowe recall from Walsall | OneFootball

The new Stoke boss has hinted that Lowe's future remains undecided.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins has hinted that he is still considering the possibility of recalling young striker Nathan Lowe in January.

The 19-year-old has been outstanding on loan at Walsall in the first half of the season, with 14 league goals to his name already, from just 21 games.

The youngster has been integral to Mat Sadler’s side building a 10-point lead for themselves at the summit of the League Two table, which has naturally raised fears about Lowe being recalled by the Potters.

The picture surrounding Lowe changed again at the end of December, when Stoke parted company with Narcis Pelach, and now new manager Robins has had his say on where Lowe’s immediate future could lie.

Mark Robins has suggested that Nathan Lowe could still be recalled by Stoke City

Although Lowe wouldn’t have been available for tomorrow’s trip to Sunderland in the FA Cup anyway (having already played in the competition for Walsall), he has been back to Stoke to train this week, with Robins taking the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the young striker.

According to Stoke-on-Trent Live, the decision over Lowe’s future is proving a difficult one, with FFP constraints and a recent injury to senior striker Sam Gallagher highlighting a potential short-term need for Lowe as well.

Last week, Football League World exclusively reported that Lowe had turned down a loan move to League One side Huddersfield Town, preferring instead to see out the season with Walsall.

However, Robins is refusing to rule out the possibility of recalling the striker, revealing that a decision is yet to be made on his future.

He said: “He’s a young player and young players have to be given time. In time, he will be a really good player and what he’s doing at the moment is giving himself every chance. He’s put himself in the shop window and made people sit up and take notice of him.

“He will end up with 20-plus goals this season if he remains at Walsall, we haven’t made that decision yet, and I also know it is doing him the world of good.

“Mat Sadler is desperate to keep him, and I’m not in the market to upset people, but what matters to me is Stoke City and the individual.

“My first priority will be to assess whether it is right to bring him back at this stage and have him involved, not knowing 100 percent what the impact will be, but sometimes your hands are tied and you’re forced because of circumstances."

Lowe could be ready for a step-up with Stoke

Lowe’s fantastic form so far this season has highlighted that he is certainly capable of performing higher up the pyramid.

With his parent club struggling to pull away from the relegation battle at present, Lowe could provide the spark that they need.

The Potters have scored the joint-lowest number of goals in the division, alongside Millwall and bottom side Plymouth. It would be a big ask for Lowe to come in and immediately take to the Championship, but he certainly appears to have the instincts to score goals at any level.

Stoke have extremely high hopes for the youngster, who has already tasted experience of the second tier, having made 13 league appearances last season and scored his first goal for his boyhood club.

His loan deal with the Saddlers has provided an excellent learning curve for the striker, as well as a valuable benchmark for Stoke as to how well he is developing. But from Robins’ suggestions, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Lowe called upon by his parent club at some point this month.