Stoke City are reported to have turned down Town loan bids for central defenders Danny Higginbotham and Leon Cort. Potters boss Tony Pulis is said to want the duo to remain at the Britannia Stadium as cover.

Higginbotham, 30, was linked with the Blues in the summer but dismissed the claims, saying he wanted to remain at Stoke.

Town manager Roy Keane will know Higginbotham well, the Mancunian defender having been at Manchester United during the Blues boss’s time at Old Trafford and having played for him at Sunderland prior to his move to Stoke in 2008.

Higginbotham, who has made five Premier League appearances this season, has also played for Royal Antwerp (loan), Derby and Southampton.

Cort, also 30, is yet to play in the Premier League for Stoke this season. The Southwark-born defender joined the Potters from Crystal Palace for £1.2 million in January 2008.

Prior to that Cort, the younger brother of former Wimbledon and Newcastle frontman Carl, was with Dulwich Hamlet, Millwall, Forest Green Rovers (loan), Stevenage Borough (loan), Southend United and Hull City.

Keane is looking to add two loan players to his squad with a central defender appearing a priority with Gareth McAuley likely to be out for a fortnight.

Meanwhile, centre-half Pim Balkestein, who is currently out of the first team, picked up a wrist injury in yesterday's reserve game against Norwich but says it's unlikely to be a big problem: “I'm off to have a scan on my wrist, but I don't think it's serious.

“Their lad [Owain Tudor-Jones] stood on my wrist, so it hurts a bit. And then I should have scored as well. I'm annoyed to miss that one."

Photo: Action Images

PSGBlue added 08:23 - Oct 29 At least Roy keane is looking to strengthen the central defence at last. but unfortuanately both this position and the striking position should have been a priority in the summer, not scratching around now when its almost too late.
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Greektractor added 08:28 - Oct 29 not too worried about getting loads of players in on loan. Never a safe option. Need a bit more strenghth though...
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lukeym18 added 08:30 - Oct 29 at least keanes looking around for loan players & things have been happerning, these 2 players are decent and would have defo helped us out. but im sure he has more then 2 players in mind so hope something happens soon. and our 1st win will come on saturday with the home crowd. cum on ipswich
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bleedblue added 09:30 - Oct 29 Why not go for one? surely stoke dont need both as cover. Glad to be filled in on some potential loans at long last.
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Back_The_Boss added 09:47 - Oct 29 He's finally decided that he this is whats needed, how long has it taken!!
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itfcboi added 09:49 - Oct 29 Would you really want to loan players out to an abusive no good manager...... not a shrewed move really is it. Good on Stoke!
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Legend added 10:00 - Oct 29 itfcboi....Ah you must be a Radio Suffolk listener! Either that or on your school half term holiday.
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itfcboi added 10:05 - Oct 29 Legend... you are just one of those fans who are quite contempt sitting at the bottom of the table and wonder why other clubs dont want their players comming here. Keano-OUT! he has had too long to chnage things with no result. An no you insulting twit I am not on half term holiday. Your obviously one of those "lets sit there and clap and not shout show no passion fans". Enough said.

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rubberblood added 10:12 - Oct 29 We never replaced Jason De-Vos all that time ago. We need 2 decent centre backs!
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Surco72 added 10:45 - Oct 29 Where has this story come from ,nothing on Sky or Stoke website ? We definately need more depth at centre back ,shame about Macs injury thought with Wright coming in we looked a bit more sound at the back and Smith was improving .
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Markie31 added 10:53 - Oct 29 Agreed rubberblood, De Vos was never really replaced. I wish Naylor was still at this club as well, solid as a rock. But good to see Keane is trying to get someone in, we desperately need someone.
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tort63 added 11:03 - Oct 29 The De Vos era was hardly one of watertight defensive stability. You really have to go back to the days of Mowbray, Venus & McGreal to find any sort of dependency in our central defensive partnerships.
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Keaneish added 11:09 - Oct 29 itfcboi, i have to side with legend on this one, mainly because it's 'content' and not 'contempt' which may infer that during half term some english language may need to be addressed. I don't consider 16 games or so being long enough for any manager! And well said tort63, Magilton had exactly the same problem. Good defenders are hard to come by.
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OnlyOneSirBobby added 11:21 - Oct 29 itfcboi ur a bit of an idiot really arent you...."not a shrewd move" to try and get players that would improve our squad, hmmm not quite sure how you get to that conclusion. its not as if keanes just gona sit there and wait to be sacked, at least he recognises the areas we need improving and is doing something about it. you will probably say too late now or whatever, but just because we havent heard anything in papers about it doesnt mean he hasnt been trying for ages...like keaneish says, good defenders are hard to come by. just try and stay faithful, stick by your team, and good things will come to those who wait, and boy have we waited!!!

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corshamblue added 12:02 - Oct 29 .. a lil bit of time and all will be well. The overall standard IS improving and we've a number of good players. One could ague the best Midfield in the league when all injuries return around Xmas. 1 x Defender 1 x Striker But they must be Quality...
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WeWereZombies added 12:09 - Oct 29 Surco72...It is on BBC - a bit more reliable than Sky, I think
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Surco72 added 12:30 - Oct 29 The overall standard is improving and the squad is good ,could be down to the fact that Roy is playing less of his signings in last few weeks and more of the team we finished last season with ? On the Norris and Civelli situation both may need time to settle in and get fitness after long layoffs ,so need to be careful and not expect to much from them straight away . I am backing Keane to lead us up the table with a settled side . A friend of mine who occasionally comes to games did the drive to Plymouth last week said that he thought Rosenoir and Edwards looked good but asked why we had strengthened what he thought was our strongest area last season the right side ? Rosenoir good ,that much better than Wright ? Edwards good will he create more or score more than Walters ? Take this into account only area Keane has improved is centre midfield -Leadbitter, and if Norris had been fit would that have needed doing ? Only Thoughts

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Surco72 added 12:41 - Oct 29 Zombies .. i must be blind been on BBC sports website ,sky sports website and can only find talk of Stoke defender saying how he would like to go to Boro on loan,and Crewe taking a goalkeeper on loan ? It matters not anyway as they are again not coming !!
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Legend added 12:45 - Oct 29 itfcboi.....Don't talk to me about passion! I was supporting this club when you were in nappies! I have seen many managers, some good some bad but they all had my support while they sat in the home dugout! I have seen us threashed 9-0 by Man utd away, 6-0 by Liverpool at home, i have watched many play-off defeats. I have seen the good times of the Wembley play-off. I have seen John Duncan manage our club. Every club has dark times but the real fans continue as normal. Do you think we have a divine right to be in the top six? It takes time when a new manager comes in. Sometimes it works right away e.g magilton at QPR. Keane is a honest straight talking bloke that does not try to please or offend anyone. He demands respect on and off the pitch and so he should. He is trying to get this club moving, he could walk away today if he wanted to but the man has stayed and took all the rubbish stories that daily papers keep dragging up, he has taken all the stupid reporters comments and not bitten (apart from the cool stare). Trust me we are bloody very lucky to have a man like Keane here at our small club and with the money from Evans this club is going places but IT WILL TAKE TIME. I have sat and stood in the North stand now the Bobby Robson stand for over 25 years and have seen some complete dross and some fantastic stuff. I have stood on cold December nights squashed in the tiny old North stand with people chuffing fags, jumping around, banging on the away pens....Thats passion. Il still be there even if we drop down this season.....Will you?

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bleedblue added 12:53 - Oct 29 John McGreal...?
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WeWereZombies added 12:54 - Oct 29 Ceefax page 338
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Lightningboy added 13:19 - Oct 29 DeVos's leadership has still to be replaced...anymore news on Peter Taylor as Keane's imminent replacement? (..oops,I meant assistant).
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chrisw2045 added 13:23 - Oct 29 Richard Wood has just been put on the transfer list by Sheffield Wed for not agreeing a new contract. 1 million should do it!!!
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AJblue added 13:35 - Oct 29 Yes chrisw, my sister lives in Sheffield, and the local media are saying a loan, then permanent deal are on the cards. I M O Wood looks like a class player. Also local news about Tudgay being unsettled.He scores in this league, wonder if he might be worth a punt? (there is no link to Ipswich, just me speculating.)
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superblueflude added 13:41 - Oct 29 Woods would do well - possible loan i think - wasn't we linked before the deadline? and can i ask - does anybody know the reason why no one has tried to sign beckford?
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