Scunthorpe United will not be extending Nathan Ellington’s loan having signed free agent Akpo Sodje until the end of the season.
Manager Brian Laws said: "Now that we have Akpo in there we have no finances to maintain Nathan Ellington being here.
"He has been hit and miss and it has been a bit of a stop-start scenario. We cannot afford to carry on like that.”
Ellington’s spell was up after Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Shrewsbury, which was only the 31-year-old's second start since he moved to the League One club in November, a calf problem having hampered his time in Lincolnshire.
In addition to his two starts, the striker, whose Town contract is up in the summer, made four substitute appearances, without scoring.
Meanwhile, Barnsley have confirmed that they will hold talks with Town legend Terry Butcher, who is currently boss at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, regarding their vacant manager's job in the next 48 hours.