Town's Healy hopes dashed by Hodgson

Derek Davis

DAVID Healy will not be joining Ipswich Town after Fulham manager Roy Hodgson confirmed he will not be allowing the striker to go out on loan to any club.

The Cottagers are facing a relegation battle in the Premier League and even though Healy has not figured prominently in Hodgon's plans as yet, he is still regarded as an important member of the squad.

Hodgson said: “A lot of clubs would like to take Healy, those looking for promotion in the Championship where they are still to have loans, but we will not be letting him go.

“David has not played much that's just the choices I've made so far. But he is a goalscorer and we may call on him yet.”

Healy scored and made one for Fulham's reserves in midweek and struck up a good partnership with Erik Nevland.

Meanwhile Stoke City have confirmed their interest in signing David Nugent.

We revealed on Monday how the Potters were looking to scupper Nugent's move to Ipswich and now the deal has fallen through, are ready to pounce.

Stoke chairman Peter Coates, who has the financial backing of an internet gambling company, was understood to have initially been put off by the cost of landing Nugent but after losing two games in a row and dropping out of an automatic promotion place, is now ready to make the gamble.

He said: “A move for Nugent is a possibility. I understand at the minute that he's not fit so we would have to wait for that to clear, but it's definitely something we're keeping an eye on.”

Although Stoke have one of the Championship's leadings corers in Ricardo Fuller, manager Tony Pulis is looking to add more firepower.

He said: “I don't know what's happened with Ipswich but if we're going to do business then we'll do it with Portsmouth.

"If there's an area that we need another player it is up front.”

Ipswich pulled the plug on the loan move after losing patience with Nugent who has a history of messing clubs around, as Sunderland's Roy Keane found last summer when he was interested in signing him from Preston but eventually got fed up waiting to hear from the player.

Crystal Palace are also understood to have shown an interest in the striker who is currently recovering from an abductor strain but it is understood he would prefer a move nearer his home in the northwest than either London or the south east.