Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

Despite the arrival at Loftus Road this week of goalkeeper Carl Ikeme on a one-month loan deal from Wolves, QPR manager Paul Hart remains on the hunt for permanent cover for first-choice goalie Radek Cerny and he hasn't ruled out turning to his old club for a solution.

The trials of Portsmouth, from whom Hart departed last November, are well-documented. Rooted to the bottom of the Premiership, unable to pay their players' wages on time on three occasions this season and subject to a transfer embargo, Pompey are desperate to lighten their wage bill and bring new funds into the club. As a result, it is more than likely that a few faces will be departing the club this January and QPR could be potential beneficiaries.

No other manager in the Football League will have a better idea of the relative merits of the current Portsmouth playing squad than Hart and though he might dream of bringing potential England keeper David James to Loftus Road, for now he will settle for signing Pompey's reserve keeper, Jamie Ashdown.

29 year-old Ashdown (pictured above), who joined the club in 2004, will be out of contract this summer so Portsmouth will be tempted to secure a fee for the player now, especially as he has only made three first-team appearances this season.

Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie acknowledged that Ashdown could leave this January.

"I admit there is interest in Jamie Ashdown and Paul Hart would like him, but we have not made a decision at this stage" he told the Portsmouth News (http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/No-offers-for-Jamo.5962569.jp?CommentPage=2&CommentPageLength=10).

"We have already got a lot of players away without losing any more.

"We will know in the next few days about that one."

Ashdown started his career as a trainee at Reading in 1998 before loan spells at Ebbsfleet, Bournemouth and Rushden & Diamonds.

QPR have been without long-term cover for Cerny since Lee Camp was loaned out to Nottingham Forest in October 2008, a deal which was made permanent last summer.

Man United reserve keeper Tom Heaton spent last autumn on loan with the Hoops but saw his appearances restricted to the Carling Cup and young Chelsea prospect Rhys Taylor came on a one-month loan at the end of last year but failed to make a first-team appearance.


Carl Ikeme (pictured above) has been brought in as short-term cover from Wolves.

His loan is for just 28 days with Wolves retaining a 24-hour option to recall the player should either of their first-choice keepers, Marcus Hahnemann or Wayne Hennessey, be injured.

Look out for more news later today on whether the club's match against Plymouth tomorrow is still going ahead, plus a match preview, weather permitting of course...