Here's Freddie!

LANDED . . . loan striker Freddie Ladapo (centre) goes straight into Athletic's squad to face Carlisle tomorrow

ATHLETIC'S new striker Freddie Ladapo will make his debut tomorrow night, but boss Stephen Robinson has stressed that the arrival of the Crystal Palace man is far from a vote of no confidence in his current front two.

Ladapo (23) travelled North to Oldham yesterday and was today expected to complete the formalities on a loan deal which keeps him with Athletic until January, with the built-in option of extension to the end of the season.

It means he will feature in the Checkatrade Trophy group game at home to Carlisle tomorrow (7.45pm kick-off).

However, after both played their part in a 1-1 draw at Bradford, Robinson said that Ladapo's arrival is not a reaction to a lack of goals from Lee Erwin and Billy Mckay.

"It gives us another option," said Robinson. "There has been a lot of talk about it and we have strikers here who are playing well, but for whom goals haven't quite come.

"They will do - but another striker helps take the pressure off them."

Ladapo's arrival marks the end of a long chase for the Romford-born hitman.

He has twice appeared on the bench for Palace in the Premier League this season, in 1-0 defeats at home to West Brom and at Tottenham, having moved to Selhurst Park on a two-and-a-half year contract after scoring a hat-trick for the under-21s against Watford in a trial in March.

A former Colchester trainee who had a spell at Kidderminster, Ladapo bloomed at non-league at Grays Athletic and then, last term, at Margate where he netted 23 times in 49 outings. That form attracted interest from Peterborough earlier this year prior to his Palace move.

Athletic's squad spent today preparing for tomorrow's first outing in Northern Group 'D', which also includes Fleetwood and Blackburn Rovers under-23s.

Even after working so hard to secure a point at Bradford, though, Robinson promised there would be no let-up in what is an eighth fixture in a hectic opening month.

"It is a given for anyone who plays for me: they will cover ground, put tackles in and put their body on the line. If they don't, they won't be in," added the manager.

"That's perhaps why some of them find themselves not in the team."

Athletic duo Mckay and Ryan McLaughlin are both on the standby list for Northern Ireland, who play in the Czech Republic in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday, September 4.

Luke Woodland is not travelling to the Philippines for their home World Cup qualifier against Turkmenistan.