Transfer rumours: Lincoln City eye emergency deal for Sheffield United's ex-Portsmouth loanee goalkeeper ahead of Sunderland clash

The Black Cats travel to face The Imps at LNER Stadium in League One this weekend.

But Appleton once again had to field rookie stopper Josh Wright in their 2-0 win at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

That’s after on-loan West Brom keeper Josh Griffiths – Lincoln’s first choice – suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the recent win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Back-up option Sam Long is unable to return from his loan spell at Drogheda United.

That meant that Lincoln travelled to Plough Lane without a keeper on the bench.

That could see Appleton dip into the emergency loan market for a solution.

According to reports, former Portsmouth loanee stopper Jake Eastwood is seen as a viable short-term option.

The Sheffield United man answered The Blues' prayers back in September when both of their keepers were unavailable.

Unlike in other positions, there are special rules in place that allow clubs to make a signing when they have no senior available goalkeepers.

Sunderland fans may remember that Lincoln were allowed to sign keeper Josef Bursik from Stoke before last season’s play-off first leg.

If all professional goalkeepers at a club are unavailable due to being unfit to play, suspension or international duty, then clubs are permitted to sign an emergency.

A ‘professional goalkeeper’ is classed as a player who has been named in the starting eleven on five or more occasions for a Premier League or EFL club in any competitions - excluding the Papa John’s Trophy.

If a club has no professional goalkeepers available and want to sign an emergency loan player, they must submit evidence surrounding the unavailability of their other keepers to the EFL.

Rules state that medical evidence can’t be accepted by anyone connected to the club.

EFL regulations also say that all emergency loan deals ‘shall be for a period of seven days and may be renewed for seven days at a time’ depending on the situation.

Premier League clubs are not permitted to send goalkeepers on seven-day emergency loans into the EFL.

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