Aston Villa midfielder Lewis Brunt will join Carlisle United on a season-long loan - provided a two-week training period is a success.

The teenager linked up with the Cumbrians for training today and is set to play in tomorrow's friendly at Penrith.

Brunt, 18, is the player Steven Pressley referred to when speaking earlier in the week about an impending loan signing.

Carlisle have tracked Brunt for much of the summer but today revealed the loan deal was not yet complete.

They said that, because of Brunt's young age, all parties wanted to ensure the move was "right for the player".

If all goes to plan over the next fortnight, the season-long move will be finalised, they said.

Blues manager Steven Pressley said: "We have an excellent and strong relationship with Aston Villa and, because of that, we want to help them to look after their young player in a manner that suits everybody.

“He’s still only 18 and both clubs feel he’s a player with really big potential.

"With that in mind, what everybody wants to make sure of is that this move is right for the player, particularly with the age that he’s at just now.

“Lewis has joined us today with a view to signing a season-long loan in two weeks, if everything goes as planned. That’s the plan, and we expect that’s how it will go, because he’s a very able young person.

“If for some reason over the course of the next two weeks we find that it doesn’t work for either party, then we don’t want to be in a position where we break our relationship with Villa."

Pressley said the two-week period will enable Brunt "to take a good look at us", and that he "fully expected" to be able to develop the midfielder as United had with fellow Villa man Callum O'Hare last season.

"He’s a very exciting player who can use the football well," Pressley added.

"He has everything I look for in a number eight, but we just want to work closely with Villa to do what’s right for a young man who is about to embark on his first loan."

Brunt signed his first professional deal at Villa in November when he agreed three-year terms.

He has been a regular for Villa's under-18 side since 2017 and has more recently featured for their under-23s.

He is a year older than Pressley's son Aaron, who is also in the Villa academy set-up.

He has played alongside ex-United loanee O'Hare and current Blues forward Harry McKirdy at Villa.

United, meanwhile, have released trialist striker Miles Storey. The ex-Swindon and Partick man played against Hibernian last Tuesday after spending several days with the Cumbrians.

“With every player you’re looking for certain characteristics, as every manager does, and he didn’t quite tick all of the boxes that I need from a player in that position,” Pressley said.

“Rather than prolong the trial, which I think is unfair on the player, I felt that my mind was made up on this one and I didn’t want to string him along. He’s worked hard and we genuinely wish him all the best.”

Three other trialists - Elliott Reeves, Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Tyrone Duffus - remain with the club and are likely to be involved in tomorrow's game at Frenchfield Park.