Gordon Gibb has ruled out City taking the loan route to survival.

With David Wetherall out of action until the new year, Nicky Law's resources have once again been hit by injuries.

Peter Atherton and Danny Cadamarteri have been sidelined all season and Mark Bower is only just coming back from three months out with a broken ankle.

But chairman Gibb has re-emphasised the point that City are not keen to bring in loan players as a short-term solution.

Law signed seven loan deals last season - and Gibb reckoned that only Michael Proctor cut the mustard.

The Sunderland striker, pictured, hit four goals in ten starts during his two-month stay and finished City's third top scorer.

City wanted to keep him for longer but Howard Wilkinson, the Black Cats boss at the time, recalled Proctor because of his form in the First Division.

Gibb said: "Michael Proctor was the only loan player I felt we got good value for money from during my time at the club. Otherwise I don't think bringing in loans is a magic wand.

"The loan system doesn't represent good value unless you use it when things are positive and you can bring in someone with abilities that the club doesn't have.

"At the moment we don't see that sort of player out there and if there was, you would have to wonder why they were available and not playing for their clubs anyway."

Goalkeeper Marlon Beresford was a free agent when he signed a short-term deal for a month as injury cover for Alan Combe.