Town manager Joe Royle say he is waiting on hearing from the Premiership club who his defensive loan target plays with. Yesterday Royle denied making a move for Southampton's Chris Baird and dismissed a number of other rumoured targets.

Royle told the club site his intention was not to set off a guessing game when he revealed on Saturday that he was close to signing a player on a season-long loan: "Perhaps I was a bit premature in mentioning the loan deal because it set off a load of guessing games and I don't want to go down that road.

"The player concerned is at a Premiership club and that club are making their final decisions very soon on whether they want to release that player for the year.

"We're pretty sure that will happen and we are well down the road for the deal to take place."

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