Town have signed Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt on a month's loan as cover for the injured Lewis Price and Shane Supple. Price has a broken rib, while Supple suffered a groin strain against Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend and is a doubt for Sunday's East Anglian derby.

Boss Jim Magilton told the club site: "Lewis is going to be out for a few more weeks at least and Shane has a groin injury, so I wanted to bring in an experienced keeper ahead of the derby.

"Mike has played at the top level and been in the game a long time. He has a big presence about him and I know he can do a job for us here.

"He will go straight into the squad for Sunday's game and will stay with us for a month, and then we'll take it from there.

"The other keepers will also benefit from having him around the place."

The Blues already have Czech glovesman Jaroslav Drobný on a short-term contract but the former Fulham man is yet to play a game in English football, his spell at Craven Cottage having been hit by a long-term knee injury. The 27-year-old has impressed in his time with the Blues and could land a longer contract.

Pollitt, 34, began his career at Manchester United but left for Oldham in 1990 before making a senior appearance. His career subsequently took him to Bury, Lincoln, Darlington, Notts County, Oldham again, Gillingham, Brentford, Sunderland, Rotherham, Chesterfield and Rotherham for a second spell alongside Alan Lee.

In June 2005 the Farnworth-born keeper finally made it to the Premiership when he joined Wigan for £200,000. Last season the 6ft 4in tall stopper made 30 senior appearances, but this year the Latics' recruitment of Chris Kirkland has kept his involvement down to one Carling Cup game against Crewe, which the Lancastrians lost 2-0.

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