The Football League have refused Town special dispensation to bring in another keeper on loan in the wake of Richard Wright’s knee injury. Wright is out for four months having damaged ligaments at Cardiff on Sunday.

Football League rule 49.1 prevents a club from bringing in a keeper after the end of the emergency loan period - which was last Thursday - unless they are without any fit professional stoppers: "If all the professional goalkeepers at a club are certified by an independent medical practitioner as being unfit to play, a club may register... a further goalkeeper on loan."

Town currently have two professional glovesmen on the books, former Hartlepool man Arran Lee-Barrett (pictured), who is contracted to the club until January, and 18-year-old Ian McLoughlin, who signed an 18-month deal last January. Mirko Ranieri, 17, is on loan from Spurs to play for the U18s as McLoughlin is too old to play in the FA Youth Cup.

One way the Blues may find of circumventing the ban on signing a loan player is to track down a free agent keeper who was released in the summer and who hasn't been registered with another club since August. However, it's unlikely that a player in that position would be match sharp and would probably only be seen as back-up to Lee-Barrett.

Town will otherwise have to wait until January to add another keeper when former Bohemians man Brian Murphy officially joins the club on a Bosman. The 26-year-old is due at Portman Road next week to begin what Roy Keane has referred to as a “mini-pre-season”.

Meanwhile, Gareth McAuley says his Town future is now more certain after suggestions earlier on the season that his days with the Blues might be numbered.

The Northern Irishman revealed in September that his agent had been told that he could find another club but he says he was never really keen on making a move: “That is all behind me now. I'm happy here and want to kick-on with my football.

“A move may have looked in the balance three months ago but I would not have welcomed it. We have a stronger squad than when I first arrived in the summer of 2008.

“I discovered later that it appeared a different picture was coming through than what was actually happening. That's football, and how it works.”

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

LeadbitterIsBeast added 17:37 - Dec 2 i personally think we wont need a new goalie, i think aaran will do the job, yeah fair enough everyone been saying he looked nervous, but people were also saying he made great saves...COYB
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Blueknight85 added 18:04 - Dec 2 el_nino ...shane hasnt been a free agent for long enough
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haynes_is_a_ledgend added 18:15 - Dec 2 he shots with his left he shots with his righttttttt the boy danny makes norwich look shiyt lol hahahaha good luck stopping his i wish we never got rid of him
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Blueknight85 added 18:29 - Dec 2 the only thing worth worrying about rom haynes is his pace
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strikalite added 18:52 - Dec 2 So in theory, could Bergovic still return? Or because Pompey called him back that'd be the end of the loan??
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slowerball added 19:31 - Dec 2 Arthur Strong - nice Mozzer pic... Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to the football league. Up yours you miserable gits! Lets get behind the boy with the double-barrel surname. Come on Arran! Stake your claim son.
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Bergholtblue added 19:33 - Dec 2 Blueknight85 - That is exactly my point. These keepers have been signed as emergency cover without really assessing the situuation. Two weeks ago we had 5 keepers at the club. Now one has been recalled, and another injured, we are left with 3 others that (because we have asked permission to sign another on loan) would appear not up to it. Therefore, did we really need all those 5 at the club? I know why who was bought to cover who and why, but it all seems that it was knee jerk reactions and it has come back to bite us on the bum. Having said that RK has had some bad luck. No one could have foreseen Shane suddenly jacking it all in, and then to get your first choice keeper injured the very next match after having to return your loanee, is as bad a bit of luck as you will get. Still confident that Aaron will do the business. But quite like the idea of an old pro coming in to staedy things. Remember when Phil Parkes came back from his carpentry business? Played well for a couple of matches.

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danknott added 19:47 - Dec 2 Finally nail in Roy Keanes coffin.......
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PvtHudson added 20:07 - Dec 2 Aaron released his own contract at Hartlepool. He was offered a new contract by them and he turned it down. He didnt get on well there. Aaron is a good keeper and will do a job for us. Good luck to him.
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PvtHudson added 20:13 - Dec 2 what has Haynes done at Bristol City......... not much. BUT...... You just know he'll score against us YOU JUST KNOW IT !!!
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jas0999 added 23:07 - Dec 2 Disappointing. If it had have been one of the big four a new keeper would be in! This could have a severe implication to us over the next few games.
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WeWereZombies added 08:10 - Dec 3 These 'On This Day' stubs on the Home Page can be confusing - I just saw 'No surprise return for Sereni' and involuntarily shuddered.
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Dowson added 19:01 - Dec 3 joke utter joke i bet they all support thses norwich inbreads!!
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depressed added 19:56 - Dec 3 I reckon Berkovic would pay his own bus fare to come back..Played 2 conceded 9 lol
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tb481 added 22:33 - Dec 3 like bergholtblue said,whats the panic? rw injured,cover is arran,his cover is ian. how many keepers we want?!
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gypo added 09:23 - Dec 4 I hope arron is not reading some of these negative posts. Thank god were at bristol because he wont have to listen to all you lot in the stands moaning and not getting behind the boys !! GOODLUCK AARON AND COME ON YOU BLUES
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