CITY today denied they are blocking Phil Parkinson from bringing in a loan replacement for James Hanson.

Parkinson has decided against adding a fresh face up front before this afternoon’s home clash with Port Vale.

After missing out on a potential target last week, he has backed youngster Oliver McBurnie to play the role of back-up for City’s leading scorer.

That has prompted suggestions in some quarters that the board are refusing to finance any short-term addition – but that has been refuted by joint-chairman Julian Rhodes.

He said: “We have to be careful. We haven’t got pots of money to throw at it – as we know, we have to raise pots of money.

“But we aren’t stupid. We want to do as well as we possibly can and we nearly signed somebody on loan last week.”

City thought a deal had been struck with an unnamed centre forward – which the T&A understands was not the internet rumour of Fulham’s Marcello Trotta – but his club were not prepared to lose the player for only a month.

Rhodes added: “I believe that the club we were getting him from moved the goalposts.

“They wanted something with a permanent move at the end etc so it didn’t happen.

“I did say the other week that we have already expanded the budget and we have scope in there for loan signings.

“I’m not going to lie, being out of the Capital One Cup means you analyse everything even more and make sure it’s going to be a benefit for the team.

“But as Phil said, there’s no point in bringing someone in just for the sake of it if they are no better than what we have already got.

“As it happens, the one he was to have got in last week would have been an ideal replacement for James Hanson.”

The City targetman is again out today after missing the last three games with the torn thigh muscle he suffered while warming up against MK Dons.

McBurnie started the cup tie there on Tuesday and is likely to see more action until Hanson is able to return.

Rhodes admitted: “McBurnie is a different type of player and to ask a young striker to fill Hanson’s shoes is a tall order.

“Personally, I’d like to see the pair of them play together again at some point. We saw them do that for 20 minutes against Leeds and they did cause problems.

“Of course we’re going to miss Hanson. A six foot four striker who wins most things in the air will trouble any defence.

“When we play at our best, we mix our style and having Hanson’s threat is a big part of that.”

With the return of several key players, City are emerging from a spell when their resources were stretched to breaking point.

Alan Sheehan, Stephen Darby and Matty Dolan will boost Parkinson’s options today and Andrew Davies is also on the brink of making a comeback from his broken arm.

But the City chief has been encouraged by the way the rest of the squad rallied round when numbers were low.

Parkinson said: “It is good that we will have some bodies back. But you learn things in adversity and we had to move a few things round.

“The loss of the key players hit us hard but the spirit the lads showed was excellent.

“If I had been offered four points from six and a really creditable performance in the cup at the start of last week, I would have taken that. I would have been happy.”

Centre half Christopher Routis, in particular, has impressed in the absence of Davies and pushed his claims to stay in the side.

Parkinson said: “Christopher has added another dimension to us as a team because his passing out from the back is so good.

“He and Rory (McArdle) have linked up well and I’m pleased with Chris.

“We did have slight concerns about playing him three times in a week but he is such a fit lad that he hardly broke sweat against MK Dons.”