DANNY Karbassiyoon has agreed to stay at Ipswich Town for at least another month on loan and is hoping to still be at Portman Road picking up a Championship medal at the end of the season.

By Derek Davis

DANNY Karbassiyoon has agreed to stay at Ipswich Town for at least another month on loan and is hoping to still be at Portman Road picking up a Championship medal at the end of the season.

Blues boss Joe Royle will talk to Arsenal, well before the 20-year-old defender's loan spell ends after the Reading game next week, to try to secure the American for longer.

Karbassiyoon accepts he may not figure in Arsene Wenger's first-team plans and is keen to remain with Ipswich until the end of the season if that can be arranged.

The young Gunner told the EADT: “It has been great playing first-team football and I would love to stay.

“It is great that the manager, Joe Royle, has said he wants to keep me longer, but now I guess it is up to Arsenal.

“Nothing has to be decided before the Reading game and it could be a month or longer - for me the longer the better. I know nothing is guaranteed but there is not much chance of me playing for Arsenal, while I would love to stay here and help Ipswich push for promotion.

“I have never won a title of any sort so to stay and help Ipswich push for the Championship would be amazing.

“This is nothing against Arsenal, because they are a great club and I totally understand they have players ahead of me and it is difficult for me to get a game.”

Royle said: “Danny has settled and done well. He looks a promising player and fitness-wise made a big improvement against Bolton on the Plymouth game.

“I will have a chat with him about the possibility of him staying longer.”

Meanwhile, Royle will not be continuing his interest in South American defender Manuel Angel Martinez, who has been with Town on trial since Thursday.

FIFA refused to allow Town to play him tonight's reserve match at Watford but Royle had seen enough to tell his agent he was not right for the Blues.

Ipswich will field some relative unknowns in the game at Vicarage Road, with former Arsenal youngster Dean McDonald hoping to impress.

Young Irish international John Paul Kelly is having his second spell at Town, after turning them down a couple of years ago to sign for Liverpool's Academy.

Homesickness got the better of him then and he returned to Ireland. He has been welcomed back to Portman Road and has been training with then Academy since Christmas.

Town reserve followers will get a glimpse of the highly-rated Tony Boto, a 15-year-old Ipswich schoolboy who has already been accepted into next year's Academy.

First-teamers Matt Richards, Dean Bowditch, Pablo Counago, Lewis Price and Scot Mitchell are all included.

Ipswich Town Reserves: Price, Mitchell, Richards, Kelly, Sobers, Patten, Manning, Flack, Counago, Bowditch, McDonald, Atay, Boto, Webster and Leabon.