City are set to offer Lee Holmes and Nathan Doyle the chance of a longer stay at Valley Parade.

But chairman Julian Rhodes admitted it was unlikely that the club could buy any of their loan signings.

Recent captures Holmes, Doyle, David Graham and Ben Parker have quickly made their mark in the bright start to the campaign.

And City are keen to avoid the scenario where they could lose all of them in mid-season.

While the other two are City players until January 1, Derby duo Holmes and Doyle see their short-term loans end after the Brighton game on November 4, but the club have the option to extend those deals - providing it is done in the next fortnight.

Rhodes said: "We've an agreement with Derby that we can do them for six months or a season-long loan as long as it is before the end of August.

"It might be something we look at before the Carlisle cup game next week because at the moment they're not allowed to play in that.

"I spoke to Colin (Todd) yesterday and the issue we've got is about keeping the squad together for the season. We want that stability.

"We can always look at trying to add some of the loan players permanently but I suspect it's going to be out of our budget to do so. We'd struggle to buy anybody so the best we can do is try to keep them for the year."

City also have the option with Leeds to hang on to Parker for the second half of the season when his contract expires at Carlisle on New Year's Day. A longer deal with Graham would depend on Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Sturrock.

Rhodes was thrilled to watch the cracking home encounters with Bristol City and Gillingham - and hopes the feel-good factor around the club will encourage more fans through the turnstiles.

Neither attendance reached the 8,000 mark although the opposition were not well backed. Gillingham brought only 225 of their own fans at the weekend.

Rhodes added: "The last two home games have probably been the most entertaining we've had since the first season in the Premier League. Other than the Millwall game when Bryan Robson first took over, you'd be hard pushed to think of one that could match the last two in five or six years.

"We've got a lot more skill in the team going forward now. The six attacking players - the midfield and up front - are all comfortable on the ball.

"They all want to look to get forward all the time. I just think we've had some players in the last few seasons who perhaps haven't fitted into that category.

"The entertainment has been great so far and I hope a lot more people come along. If we are to afford to keep some of these players, we're going to need it.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that they play for clubs in the Championship so two of them at least (Graham and Parker) are on decent money. We're having to pay the majority of that cost."

Matt Clarke makes his first appearance in a City shirt tonight when the reserves open their season against Shrewsbury at Valley Parade (7.00). Alan Rogers has also been named in the side.