Chris Beech says he is keen to welcome loan attacker Ethan Walker back to Carlisle United.

The Preston prospect has been sidelined since October after suffering a shoulder injury.

But 18-year-old Walker is getting closer to a return to action.

And Blues head coach Beech said the forward is the type of player he wants at Brunton Park.

“Ethan’s a Preston lad, he can access Carlisle with a good hour down the M6, and that’s good for us,” Beech said.

“He’s a good player, a young player, I’ve stayed in contact him with texts etc through his rehab, and I know he’s training already with Preston.

“He’s got to see the specialist to get the OK for the shoulder, and from that point that could be an option for us.

“David [Holdsworth, director of football] will have to pick the reins up with Peter Ridsdale at Preston and see where that is.

“Anybody who wants to play for Carlisle and give 100 per cent and work very hard, I have an interest in. Ethan wants to do that.”

Walker made five appearances for the Blues earlier this campaign after joining on a season-long loan.

The teenager was showing bursts of promising form until suffering the injury in the first half of United’s EFL Trophy defeat at Sunderland on October 6.

Walker had been brought in to cover the injury to Brennan Dickenson – the summer signing who is now back in full training.

Beech said it is now a case of building up Dickenson’s workload ahead of his return to the first-team fold following his pre-season hamstring injury.

“During his rehab he went to St George’s [Park], and went home afterwards…this was a couple of months ago, and he had the [Covid-19] virus, which it put him back a couple of weeks," Beech said.

“But he trained really well the other day. I’m really pleased for him.

“What we have to do is build it up a little bit, respect the fact he’s not done it since Sunderland in pre-season, which seems about five years ago, and we have to try and build up that time in him.

“Brennan’s a strong boy, really professionally-minded person and he’ll add to us once he gets going on that pitch for us.”