ASKEY SCOURS THE MARKET AS HE ATTEMPTS TO SIGN DEFENDER

PORT Vale are trying to bring in a right-back after James Gibbons was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The club fear the injury Gibbons suffered in the closing stages of Tuesday’s 3-1 EFL Trophy win at League One side Wigan Athletic will rule him out for a number of weeks.

And with Zak Mills and Nathan Smith also sidelined for Saturday’s League Two home game with Carlisle, the Vale are making inquiries about a signing. Manager John Askey has great sympathy for Gibbons, who was playing only his second game after coming back from a knee injury suffered in pre-season. Winger David Amoo was also forced off in the Wigan game with a hamstring problem, but the club are hoping his injury is less serious. Gibbons’ injury leaves Vale without a recognised right-back because summer signing Mills is out for another two to three weeks with a hamstring problem. Centre-half Nathan Smith has played on the right of the back four, but he is self-isolating until after the Carlisle game because a family member has tested positive for Covid-19. Askey said the club is looking to bring in a signing if possible to bolster their options.

He said: “We are trying. We are ringing around and trying to see who is available. “But at the end of the day it is no use bringing anybody in just for one game. If somebody comes in we want somebody who we feel is going to be a decent player for us.”

Vale head in to this weekend’s game looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Morecambe.