Hull City boss Nigel Adkins says the Tigers will decide whether to take up their one-year option on striker Will Keane’s contract at the end of the season.
Keane has spent the second half of the season on loan with the Blues, scoring three goals, with owner Marcus Evans having spoken to the 26-year-old’s representatives about a permanent move to Portman Road.
"I saw Will before the game,” Adkins said when asked about Keane’s situation following his side's 2-0 victory over the Blues on Saturday.
"We played him at Leeds, our last away win [2-0, in December], he played the 90 minutes there and to be fair to Will he needed to go and play football.
"Fraizer Campbell had been our mainline striker, so Will hadn’t figured that much so it was important for him because we’d got Fraizer Campbell, Chrissy Martin, Nouha Dicko and Will Keane, they were the four strikers and we’ve only been playing with one central striker.
"So it was important for Will, he’s still under contract with us, there’s still an option in the club’s favour if they want to renew that, but it was important for him to go and play some football.
"So he’s come here and it was great to see him score a couple, I think it’s the first time he’s scored two goals in a season for a long, long time because he’d obviously been out injured with his knee.
"It’s just such a shame that he’s picked up his hamstring injury, but hopefully he’ll be back fit next week or somewhere close to that and will get some more games before the season finishes and then who knows what happens after that.”
Quizzed on whether any discussions had taken place regarding taking that option, he added: "No, we’ll just see what happens come the end of the season if that makes sense.”
Keane, who has made only eight league starts and 14 sub appearances, scoring once, for Hull since joining them from Manchester United in August 2016, is expected to be back in the Town squad for Saturday’s trip to Bolton.
The Mancunian, who recently switched international allegiance to the Republic of Ireland, his father’s country of birth, has made seven league starts for the Blues and one sub appearance - as well as one more game from the bench in the FA Cup - scoring those three goals.