 Thursday, 31st Dec 2009 11:47 Boss Roy Keane says midfielder Jack Colback will be staying on loan with the Blues for the second half of the season, while he will also look to extend Stern John and Arran Lee-Barrett’s time at Portman Road. The Town manager is also looking at two or three further additions to his squad during January, while Tommy Smith and Troy Brown could be amongst those going out on loan. Keane says the deal to keep Colback, whose current spell has come to an end, has been agreed with Sunderland boss Steve Bruce: “Jack’s done brilliant for us. He’s got a chance of being a top player. “I spoke to Brucey yesterday and that’s all been sorted and Jack’s hopefully here until the end of the season. He’s available for Saturday and we appreciate that. “Brucey knows that Jack is getting games and some good experience here. He’s plugged into what we’re about. Jack’s a good player and a good lad.” The Blues boss is yet to speak to Crystal Palace about Stern John staying for a further spell but will be looking to keep the Trinidad and Tobago international: ”We’ll be trying to do something but Saturday will be cutting it a bit fine as he’d have to be registered by tomorrow and that’s pushing it. “I think Stern’s done very well for us, but we have to be respectful of that fact that loan players are contracted to other clubs. We’re hopeful something might happen, it might be another week or two, it depends what Palace have to say. “Even if Steady weren’t suspended I like Stern around the place anyway. He did exactly what we hoped he would do; he’s had a presence and was unlucky to have a goal chalked off against Peterborough.” Keeper Arran Lee-Barrett will also be spoken to about a new deal with his short-term contract up on January 21st: “We’ll be speaking to Arran over the next few days. I’ve been delighted with Arran. The boy’s taken his chance, again on Saturday he had a good presence and hopefully we’ll sort something with Arran because he deserves it. He’s done really well for us.” Keane says no new additions to his squad are imminent but that he is working on a number of potential signings: “There’s no news today but I’m hopeful for the next week or two. “I’ve maybe got two or three players in mind that I’d like to bring to the club, but every manager will tell you that January’s an awkward time in terms bringing a player to the club. “We’ll be looking at one or two loans, but there’s a lot of work to be done on those deals in terms of speaking to those players and looking at the financials.” The Blues boss says former loanee Giovani Dos Santos probably wouldn’t be a realistic target, despite his lack of involvement with Spurs, but has at least one Premier League target: “There might be one from the Premiership. It’s characters, men we need in the position we’re in, people like Stern. “I think the player from the Premiership that I might be interested in would certainly be a loan deal because the wages of most players in the Premiership would be out of our reach. “But I’ve one or two players at Championship teams in mind. Whether we can do a deal, who knows? We’ll see. I think there’ll be plenty of phone calls going on in the next week or so.” The Irishman is anxious not to increase his already large squad and says that fringe players are likely to be leaving for short-term spells: “I’m worried about the size of my squad, but I’m hopeful that maybe two or three players might be out on loan next week getting games of football.” Town have recalled Pim Balkestein from his loan spell at Brentford, partly due to David Wright’s cut foot and Damien Delaney picking up an ankle injury in the QPR game — both are doubts for Saturday — and also because other centre-halves could be going out on loan: “We’ve got one or two other young defenders who we look like we can get out on loan next week. People like Tommy Smith need to go out and get some games and possibly Troy Brown.” Midfielders Colin Healy and Liam Trotter are also amongst the players who could be leaving on loan, while Keane says he has also received some interest from other clubs about possible permanent moves for some of his squad members: “I’ve spoken to one or two managers over the last few days regarding some of our players.” Kevin Lisbie will return to Portman Road after playing for Colchester in the FA Cup this weekend. Keane says his potential for involvement with the Blues depends entirely on the Jamaican international: “It’s up to the player. It’s always up to the player. I’ve brought him back to play in the team.” Keane says the interest in Lisbie from clubs other than Colchester has continued, while the U’s want him to return to North Essex, although they admit that both his fee and his personal terms may be beyond them. Young defender Jack Ainsley is back from his loan spell at Rushden and Diamonds where he played just 45 minutes in two months. Keane says that as reported by TWTD earlier in the week, he won’t be returning to Nene Park and the Blues won’t be loaning them any more players in the future: “He certainly won’t be going back there. None of our players will be going there. “It’s not the first time that club’s done that to a player. Not at this club, but I’ve spoken to other managers. “If a club comes in and we feel he might get a reasonable chance we might send him out again, which is why we send them out on loan. “When a player’s really not given an opportunity then you have concerns. But, as I say, I think it’s happened to one or two other players who’ve gone there. “There’s a bit of history with their manager [Justin Edinburgh] you see. There’s a bit of history with everyone!” One man unlikely to feature for Keane’s side at any time soon is Ben Thatcher. The left-back, who suffered a knee ligament injury at the end of last season, hasn’t appeared this term and seems unlikely to play for the Blues again. Asked about Thatcher’s fitness Keane said: ”You’ll have to ask Ben. He’s certainly not in my plans. The Town manager says the Welsh international isn’t training with his first team squad at present: “He’s not training with anybody. He comes into training when he fancies it, every now and again when the traffic’s not too bad.” Keane says Town have no plans to settle Thatcher’s contract and that he may become more involved soon: “He’s getting treatment and he might be joining in this week.” Elsewhere, reports in the North-East claim the Blues are still interested in Sunderland striker or midfielder Daryl Murphy, who is expected to leave the Black Cats in January. Murphy, who had trials at Town during Joe Royle’s time at the club before joining Sunderland, almost signed for the Blues in the summer before the move fell through due to personal terms. Hull and Stoke have also been linked. Photo: ITFC
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