Town are reported to have made a loan bid for Rangers defender Michael Ball. Boss Joe Royle had three enquiries regarding possible loan players turned down last week and Ball could well have been amongst them.

Ball, who joined the Scottish champions from Everton in 2001 for £6.5 million, is mainly a left-back but has also played at centre-half and made his debut for the Toffeemen during Royle's time as manager at Goodison Park.

The Blues are very keen to add to their defensive ranks with Jason De Vos, Aidan Collins and Gerard Nash all injured and loanee Mark Fish being nowhere near match fitness.

Ball, who won his only full international cap when he played for England against Spain in 2001, was in the Rangers side which defeated Aberdeen earlier today and looks unlikely to be available.

With money very tight at Portman Road, Town are likely to require a loaning club either to heavily subsidise their player's wages or meet their salary in full as is the case with Mark Fish and was also the situation when Danny Karbassiyoon joined from Arsenal last season.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls