Carlisle United boss Keith Curle reckons radical changes to the loan system could harm the development of young players in England.

Next season the Blues are set to be prevented from signing players from top clubs on month-by-month ‘emergency’ loan deals.

Instead, United will have to agree half-season or season-long deals when borrowing players.

Curle believes the new system, a result of FIFA rules, will make clubs like Carlisle more reluctant to take risks on young loanees.

“Will it hamper the progression of younger players at Premier League clubs?” Curle said.

“You can’t afford to gamble on them in the same way.

“Before you could take a player on a short-term contract knowing if it didn’t work out, for various reasons, that player could go back.

“Now, if you sign a player on a half-season loan, they’ve got to be right.

“We have been doing due diligence on players from Christmas onwards, so we have a good idea of what players are going to bring.

“We can’t afford to have a passenger.”

Last season the Blues struck both short-term and long-term loan deals for several players.

Hallam Hope, who joined from Bury for three consecutive months, before a further half-season, was an example of how Curle used the market.

Later additions like Jack Stacey and Martin Smith joined in short-term deals.

Longer loans, meanwhile, were struck for the Newcastle pair of Alex Gilliead and Macaulay Gillesphey, both of whom Curle would like to re-sign next season.

Youth loans will still be available next season but there will be more emphasis on window-to-window dealing.

Curle said it means United’s approach to the transfer market, led by head of recruitment Lee Dykes, must be more detailed than ever.

“We have to make sure we take the guesswork out of it,” said Curle.

The manager is also targeting more reserve games next season after admitting last season’s mammoth travelling commitments limited the number of ‘bounce’ games Carlisle were able to arrange.

United are not involved in a competitive reserve league, and Curle said: “We need to play more games.

“That was something that was flagged up in our end-of-season coaching meeting.

“Because of the amount of travelling we did, it’s difficult getting players back at silly o’clock in the morning and then saying, ‘We’ve got a game on the Wednesday for you’.

“Then the floods caused lot of disruption. But [next season] I think there will be a healthier games programme that will see more game time for the squad in total.”