Latics swoop after friendly loss

LOAN DEAL . . . Middlesbrough’s Jonathan Burn.

ATHLETIC are to add to their meagre defensive ranks by signing Middlesbrough prospect Jonathan Burn on six-month loan.

Centre-back Burn (20), captain of the ambitious Championship club’s under-21 side, was due to sign today and may come straight into the team that plays Walsall on Saturday.

Burn has yet to make a first-team appearance in the professional game but was part of Boro’s first-team squad at training camp. He is highly rated and with Athletic’s defence — featuring two trialists Fraser Kerr and Gavin Gunning — so vulnerable in the 3-1 loss at Carlisle on Saturday, manager Darren Kelly will turn to the partnership of James Wilson and Burn to stregthen the centre.

With all three Carlisle goals at least partly the result of defensive mishaps, Kelly acknowledges that there is plenty of work to do ahead of Saturday’s new season opener.

“The errors provide a concern,” said Kelly after the loss to the League Two side. “But it is up to us to put it right on the training ground. We have to get out of those habits.”

David Cornell started in goal, but could have done better on Carlisle’s second effort, and there was no place in the starting line-up for George Green, Danny Philliskirk, Dominic Poleon or Rhys Turner within a 4-3-3 formation spearheaded by Jake Cassidy as a lone striker.

New signing David Dunn was watching from the bench, but was not considered ready for action.

“I haven’t decided yet, to be honest,” said the manager, when asked about his starting line-up for Walsall. “There is a lot of food for thought - plus the fact that we have players to come back in, in a fully-fit squad. It is a good headache to have trying to pick a team.

“At Carlisle we were a bit flat and off it. But this is when we try to rectify things to get it right ready for the big kick-off.”