Town are set to sign Portsmouth defender David Unsworth on loan until the end of the season. The 31-year-old former England international looks likely to take over at left-back for the remainder of the club's promotion challenge.

Manager Joe Royle, currently away with the squad in Tenerife, says the deal is done and the former Everton and Aston Villa man will join next week: "Our chairman is completing the paperwork, but the player has agreed to sign for is and Portsmouth are also happy to go ahead."

Royle was Unsworth's manager at Everton when the defender was in his first spell at Goodison Park. The Chorley-born defender signed on a free at Portsmouth in the summer and has made 19 appearances this season, scoring two goals.

Unsworth, who Royle has confirmed as Town's last loan signing this season, has made 410 senior appearances - scoring 44 goals - since making his debut for Everton in 1992. In 1997 he moved on to West Ham and then briefly on to Aston Villa a year later before moving back to Everton without making an appearance for the Midlands club.

Town are back from their Tenerife break on Friday and Unsworth will join up with the rest of the squad next week and is expected to make his debut in the away game at Sheffield United.

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