Keith Curle says Carlisle United have approached Newcastle United over the future of loan defender Macaulay Gillesphey.

The 20-year-old's half-season loan is up in the new year and the promotion-chasing Blues are keen to know whether they can keep him.

Curle has been impressed with the form shown by the centre-half this term.

And the United boss, whose side face Exeter today (Brunton Park, 3pm) said: " John Nixon and Nigel Clibbens [co-owner and chief executive] have made contact with Newcastle.

"We're trying to open up negotiations to find out what their intentions are. Ultimately, he's their player.

"I think Macaulay has settled in, and as a loan move it's paid dividends - exactly what he required.

"He's playing competitive games, at a very competitive level, in a team that's at the right end of the table. So as a loan move you'd say that's excellent.

"If you look at some other under-20, 21, 23 players at their parent clubs, they get the opportunity play in the Checkatrade and then largely Under-23 football -it's not at the same level as league football in my opinion."

Gillesphey has made 16 appearances so far this term, having played 27 times for the Blues last season.

Asked if he simply wanted a loan extension, Curle added: "If it was down to me I'd sign him on a permanent, have him for eight months and then sell him for a vast amount of money, and be seen as a very shrewd businessman!"

United's manager, meanwhile, says today's game against the second-bottom Grecians represents a chance to start another unbeaten run.

Carlisle's record-breaking sequence was finally ended by 24th-placed Newport last weekend.

Curle said: "There was a feeling after the game that nobody enjoyed - walking into the changing room having been defeated.

"It's something we, as a group, hadn't encountered. But I liken it to the feeling when your son or daughter is going to university - you know it's going to happen, but you don't want it to happen. It did, now we need to move on.

"The first chance I had, I said to the players it has been an excellent start to the season. That's gone, and now it's an opportunity to start a new run. The work, attention, and application to the work this week has been exemplary from the players."

Curle believes today's opponents are in a false position. He said: "They won't finish the season down there. Annually they don't start very well, but notoriously they finish very well."

Exeter's former United defender Troy Archibald-Henville will miss today's game through injury but ex-Blues loanee Jack Stacey is likely to be involved.