Chris Beech has given the strongest suggestion yet that Joshua Kayode will be remaining with Carlisle United for the season.

The Blues head coach says he does not expect any other outcome than the striker seeing out his season-long loan.

There had been fears that parent club Rotherham could loan Kayode elsewhere this month.

But Beech appeared confident the frontman will continue spearheading United’s promotion push when asked by the News & Star at his latest press conference.

“I think it [the green light] has already been given, and done,” Beech said of a player who has been nursing a knee injury this week.

“Everybody saw [Rotherham boss] Paul Warne’s interview [when he said Kayode would stay out on loan], everybody knows how JJ feels about Carlisle, and how I feel about JJ being at Carlisle.

“His agent, etc, understand his opportunity here, so I can’t see anybody looking to undo that good work.

“Rotherham have already decided in that interview that they’ve got three or four different options that they feel will help them stay in the Championship or fight for that right, and they see JJ as a medium to long-term fix for getting involved in their first team.

“That coincides with next season. I don’t think there’s anything to talk about, really, [with] JJ, other than his knee’s sore and hopefully he’ll be fit very soon.”