Tommy Wright admits Carlisle United’s hopes of holding on to their loan players are out of their hands.

John Sheridan’s No2 suggested there is little chance of a quick outcome to the Blues’ attempt to retain those on short-term stays.

United would like to keep most of their loanees who have just over a month left at Brunton Park.

But talks are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

Wright said: “As players they’ve got to see what offers come in, and then we’ve got to speak to their parent clubs.

“Regan [Slater] is here for the season, so we’re delighted with that.

“But with Jerry [Yates], [Jack] Sowerby, [Ashley] Nadesan, we’ll have to see, because clubs will wait.

“They’ll wait and decide what they’re going to do. It’s not in our hands, really – I wish it was.

“We’ll do our best for the club as much as we can.”

Wright said after United’s 1-1 draw at Notts County on Tuesday that the Blues would be hoping to add to their squad in January.

“Hopefully we’ll do a bit of business and get one or two in, because we’re a bit light,” the assistant manager said.

“That said we’ve got [Tom] Parkesy coming back from injury soon, [Danny] Grainger isn’t far away, and there is young Liam [McCarron] who’s a great addition to the squad – and Jason Kennedy training again.

“If we get him back in January it will be a great plus for everybody.”

Sheridan handed post-match media duties to Wright for the second successive game on Tuesday night.

The Meadow Lane clash saw Yates’ first Blues league goal earn a late point after Elliott Hewitt’s goal for the struggling hosts.

“I thought we passed the ball well, but we needed a better end product in the last third at times - it was a game we should have won,” Wright said.

“Possession doesn’t win you games, even though we want to keep possession of the ball. You have to put the ball in the net.

“The good thing is we went down and came back, we kept going, moving the ball quickly, and had opportunities to win the game as well.

“You do get that feeling when you’re so much on top but don’t score it’s going to kick you in the backside, which it did from a set play.

“It’s very frustrating. The performance was good but the result should have been better.”

Wright admitted he was pleased for Rotherham loanee Yates to break his league duck.

“In football and in life if you work hard, you usually get your rewards, and he’s one of the hardest players I’ve worked with,” Wright said.

“Those are the kind of goals we need more often - movement in the box, a little touch and it’s in the back of the net.

“We can’t keep steaming them in from 20-25 yards. We need more like that. I’m really pleased for Jerry.”

Liam McCarron, 17, also made a crucial impact from the bench as he set up Yates’ 85th-minute leveller.

“He excites people - wingers do that,” Wright said. “They [Notts] were a bit frightened of him early on.

“The full-back was just standing off him. I was trying to get across to tell him that you don’t have to beat the man, you can stand off and cross it, and he did that for the goal.”

Wright, though, admitted that being more clinical remains a key area for United to work on.

“That’s where the big money comes in, why strikers earn a lot of money, whether Premier League or League Two,” he said.

“They’re worth their weight in gold.

“Nadders has done well, but something he’s got to improve is the little tap-ins.

“He’s good at running onto things and finishing, and he needs to get that [other side].

“He knows it and has to work hard at it.”