Russell Howarth is stepping up his loan search to get his career moving again.

The City back-up keeper is desperate to play first-team football but accepts he is unlikely to dislodge Donovan Ricketts.

A minor knee injury held up his plans to push for a move elsewhere as soon as the campaign kicked off. But now fit again, Howarth hopes something will be in the pipeline.

He has discussed his situation with Colin Todd and admitted: "It's approaching make or break in terms of my career. I need to start playing regularly again and the sooner that can happen the better.

"Earlier in my career at Tranmere I was a little unfortunate that the keeper I was behind (John Achterberg) was playing really well. And it's happened again here with Donovan's form.

"He was superb last season and has looked pretty solid again at the start of this one. I've got no complaints but obviously it can't go on from my point of view."

Howarth played the full 90 minutes for the reserves at Huddersfield on Wednesday - his first game of the season after recovering from a knock on the training ground.

"It was one of those little niggly injuries and I don't know how I did it," he said. "My knee just had loads of fluid on it and I couldn't train until that had disappeared, even though the pain had gone away.

"I had ten days out but since then I've managed a good week's training under my belt and I'm raring to play again.

"I'm looking to go out on loan and working on trying to get the right club. It's a funny time of the season because clubs are still sorting themselves out with regards to players, so hopefully there will be one out there that wants to take me.

"I'm always looking at the other games out of interest to see who is playing where. But you notice when clubs have only got a young lad in goal and think that maybe I'll get a chance there."

Howarth made 13 appearances for City last season, keeping two clean sheets against Chesterfield and Morecambe. He has not played a senior game since December 17, conceding two in a home defeat to Rotherham.

Youngster Ben Saynor has been preferred on the bench this season, although Howarth was back in the squad at Brentford as cover after Ricketts took a knock in training.