By Jon Colman

Last updated 05:41, Friday, 05 September 2008

FORMER Carlisle United loan star Ronnie Wallwork is back training with the Blues – and manager John Ward hasn’t ruled out keeping the midfielder at Brunton Park.

Ronnie Wallwork: In his United days

Ex-Manchester United player Wallwork, who had a successful loan spell with Carlisle more than 10 years ago, has linked up with the Cumbrians following his summer release from Sheffield Wednesday.

The 30-year-old free agent is training with Ward’s squad today and is likely to return next week, and while the United boss said that was currently the extent of the arrangement, it could develop into something permanent.

“At the moment it’s no more than offering him a bit of training and we’ll see where that takes us,” said Ward. “It may be the start of something that moves him elsewhere, or it may be that we get something going here.”

Wallwork, who played at centre-half during his 10-game spell with the Cumbrians in 1997/8, had a four-month spell at Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season, following an eight-year stint at West Brom.

During his spell with the Baggies in 2006, he was stabbed seven times in a nightclub attack in Manchester, which last year led to 20-year-old Robert Rimmer being jailed for five-and-a-half years for wounding with intent.

Wallwork spent over a week in hospital before recovering to make his comeback match in February last year.

Ward, meanwhile, has said he is unlikely to make any permanent additions to his squad before Monday night’s transfer deadline.

The loan window re-opens on Monday week and Ward has also played down talk that he could then move for Coventry’s right-sided midfielder Chris Birchall.

The United boss confirmed he had spoken to the Trinidad & Tobago international’s agent, but said that was simply one of many conversations he has with players’ representatives on a daily basis, and he had not approached Coventry about Birchall.

Scott Dobie will serve the second game of his three-match ban tomorrow, following his controversial sending-off at Leyton Orient last Saturday for retaliation. That means Cleveland Taylor, United’s best player at QPR in midweek, will make his first league start of the season against Yeovil.

Josh Gowling is back in training after surgery on his broken nose and Ward is optimistic the former Bournemouth defender will be back in contention soon. “We are just keeping Josh away from contact at the moment but in the next week or so, it will be up to him,” said Ward.