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If there is one club that knows all about sending player out on loan, it surely has to be Chelsea.

Every year, a legion of the club's fringe and youth players are sent out on temporary deals to clubs elsewhere across England and indeed the world, in order to give them the sort of game time and development they simply are not going to get if they remain at Stamford Bridge.

This season however, it seems as though the 28 players who are leaving the club on a temporary basis may actually have something to aim for upon their return to London.

Under the newly appointed Frank Lampard, the start to the new campaign has seen a trio of young players who spent time on loan in the Championship last season - Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori - all given the chance to prove themselves in Chelsea's senior side this season.

Indeed, having experienced the benefits of loan players during his year in the second tier with Derby County last season - not least with Mount and Tomori - Lampard himself will know the benefits a stint at that level can have for a player looking to break into the first-team at a club such as Chelsea.

That is why there may well be some concern around Stamford Bridge about the progress being made by one of their youngsters who is currently on loan in the Championship this season.

Having joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan during the summer transfer window, 19-year-old right-back Dujon Sterling has so far made just a single appearance for Paul Cook's side, which came in a 1-0 defeat to Stoke City in the opening round of the Carabao Cup last month.

The fact that Sterling has so far struggled to get any real opportunities during his time in the North West is unlikely to have gone unnoticed at Stamford Bridge, and you feel it will have raised more than a few eyebrows, given the contrasting experiences of the player who proceeded Sterling in making a very similar career move just last season.

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During the 2018/19 campaign, Wigan benefitted hugely from the loan signing of another 19-year-old right-back from Chelsea in the form of Reece James.

So impressive was the teenager during his spell at The DW Stadium, that he earned himself an individual spot in the EFL's Championship Team of the Season, despite Wigan's overall struggles to secure survival in the division, before ultimately ending the campaign 18th following a solid late run.

Considering the impact that James - who now seems to be on the verge of making his own break into the Chelsea side following a long injury lay-off - had in helping Wigan to that survival last season, the fact that a player of the same age, on loan from the same club, and playing in the same position, cannot now get into the same team that looks set to face the same battle for survival this season, will surely be leading to one or two questions around Stamford Bridge.

Having seen James enjoy such success at The DW Stadium, Chelsea will surely have sent Sterling to the club expecting him to get a similar sort of opportunity, and the fact that very little else - it is even the same right-back, Nathan Byrne, that he is competing with for a place in the side - has changed, will surely be leading to some questions about Sterling's own abilities.

Admittedly, Wigan boss Paul Cook has recently revealed that Sterling will soon be involved at first-team level, with the focus for now being on getting the teenager up to full fitness, which means this could be an interesting one to follow once he does make that step up to Championship level with Wigan.

Given that by this point last season, James' performances were already starting to catch the eye for Wigan, it does feel as though Sterling will have some catching up to do when that time does come.

Considering the expectation there will be on the 19-year-old - thanks in no small part to his predecessor - the teenager will surely be feeling when he steps over that white line for Wigan's senior side, not least from his parent club, where Sterling will surely now know, just how lucrative the reward could be for a successful campaign this season.