Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy isn’t lining up potential replacements for Ryan Tunnicliffe just yet, despite Manchester United manager David Moyes hinting that he may recall the midfielder in the new year.

When asked yesterday whether he would be making any signings in the January transfer window, Moyes said: “We’ll try, but I’m quite actively looking at our own boys.

“The likes of Jesse Lingard (on loan at Birmingham), Nick Powell (at Wigan) and Ryan Tunnicliffe – the boys who are out on loan – they are the ones I am making sure I keep my eye on because they are the future.

“They are the ones who are part of the club and have been in the system so we are certainly keeping our eyes on all the boys who have been out on loan and hoping that they might be able to come back and help us if we need it in January as well.”

McCarthy revealed last week that he hadn’t been able to get hold of Moyes on the phone to discuss extending Tunnicliffe’s stay, the 20-year-old having started all but one of Town’s last 17 games and only tatsed defeat on three occasions.

“I think all the loanees at Manchester United generally go back in January,” said McCarthy. “I think that will probably be the case again.

“Do you know, I don’t blame them. They want to take their players back and have a look at them. They’ll play them all in the cup, because none of them can be cup-tied. Tunners is one that will probably happen to.

“We’ll see. Let’s hope we can get him back because all they will do is assess him, he’s not going to get in their team. I’m sure they’ll loan him out again.”

Asked if would bring in another midfielder to replace Tunnicliffe, should he not be allowed to rejoin Town on loan, McCarthy – who last week refused to comment on speculation that he may look to bring in Arsenal’s Emmanuel Frimpong on loan (as he did at former club Wolves) – said: “We’ll wait and see shall we. Let’s see what happens.

“If they loan him out again, will they want it to be to another club? I don’t know. I haven’t got the answer to that. You can put so many scenarios together as to what may or may not happen. I don’t know the answer to them. All I know is that I want him to be here.

“I can understand if they want to take him back and take a look at him. They’re not going to keep them (Powell, Lingard and Tunnicliffe) all though.

“Ryan’s been a really good signing for us and I still think there’s more to come from him. I think he’s finally settled and playing in a team. He’s being picked in his central role now, even though he did well on the left. I think he’s thriving, I think he’s getting better and I do think there is much more to come from him.” Asked if Tunnicliffe had the potential to be a Manchester United player in the future, McCarthy said: “I don’t work with the Manchester United players, but he is a very good player in this league at the moment. I don’t want to big him up too much because they might then want to keep him when he goes back.”

When asked if Frimpong was a target, McCarthy said: “I wouldn’t tell you if he was because that wouldn’t be fair. An agent has obviously put something out, but you can take all that with a pinch of salt unless you’ve heard that from me.”