The Cobblers are confident they will renew the loan spell of goalkeeper Lee Nicholls, who has returned to Wigan Athletic following the completion of his initial spell.
Nicholls has been a big hit at Sixfields and has fully succeeded as cover for Shane Higgs, who has been out from January until last month after rupturing an Achilles tendon.
Wigan did not give Northampton permission to play Nicholls in their Capital One Cup games this season as they did not want the player cup-tied and that policy could be repeated for the FA Cup tie against Bradford City on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
That factor is one of several manager Aidy Boothroyd is currently thrashing out with the Latics, but he is adamant Nicholls will soon be back at the club.
“Yes, he is staying,” said the Cobblers boss. “All being well all we’ve got to do is dot the Is and cross the Ts.
“These loan agreements can be painstaking because the parent club wants to make sure that their house is in order because they don’t want to lose a player, particularly in the windows they work in, if they can’t potentially call their players back.
“But I fully expect Lee Nicholls to be back with us by the close of play this week.
“(His availability for Saturday) is one of those things that we need to iron out.”
Town will be without Alex Nicholls for the remainder of the season following the striker’s double leg-break in the Port Vale win, but Boothroyd is loath to bring in another centre-forward after Louis Moult got his first senior goal in that game.
The club sent Kemar Roofe back to West Bromwich Albion but still have Liverpool youngster Henoc Mukendi on loan to provide them with some options in attack.
It seems Moult, though, will get an extended run in the side.
“There is a possibility of bringing someone in but Louis (Moult) did very well and scored when he came on and I think it might be time for him to show what he’s all about,” he said.
“Clive (Platt) and Bayo (Akinfenwa) are both available so I’ll have to think about how we play and what I do.
“Sometimes these things happen and something surprises you but I know what a good player Louis Moult is but now he needs to prove that we don’t have to go and spend more money on another forward and that he is capable of doing the job.”
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