Dundee United face a goalkeeping crisis after Mark Birighitti sustained a shoulder injury during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against St Johnstone.
The Australia international suffered a hefty knock in chastening fashion, with Stevie May tackling him to score the winning goal at Tannadice.
Initial suggestions were that Birighitti had suffered a dislocated shoulder, which would see him sidelined for a lengthy period.
Jack Newman, 20, replaced Birighitti against the Saints, making his first ever competitive United appearance, and is now the de facto first-choice.
So what next for United?
Are United eligible for an emergency loan goalkeeper?
The answer to that is unequivocally yes.
United’s request would be granted if they can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the SPFL that they only possess one fit and available goalkeeper aged 21 or over, due to injury.
If Birighitti is sidelined, then the Terrors fall into that category.
Carljohan Eriksson was loaned out to FC Midtjylland in January — the failure to bring in another senior keeper to replace him was rather tempting fate — while teenagers Ruairidh Adams and Jamie McCabe are next in line after Newman.
Emergency loan regulations
In an era of tight budgets and thin squads, the use of emergency goalkeeper loans have become more regular — albeit still fairly uncommon the top-flight. Most Premiership clubs have a couple of experienced stoppers on their books.
Rule 62 states: “The board may on cause shown, at any time, on such conditions and for a period of not more than seven days, approve the emergency temporary transfer of a recognised goalkeeper only.”
In short, providing United can prove that Birighitti is injured, they will be able to pursue a loan from another club in Scotland; not England or abroad.
The deal is restricted to seven days, however the club are able to apply for that period to be extended, provided the SPFL are satisfied that the club are still without sufficient cover.
Crucially, Birighitti must be injured for United to qualify for an emergency loan.
Even if head coach Liam Fox is unsure about whether the former Central Coast Mariners man should regain his spot as number one, the moment he is fit and available, the Terrors are no longer eligible for an emergency loan.
Can Dundee United simply recall Carljohan Eriksson?
United’s most simple solution, in terms of expedience and ease, would ordinarily be to recall the senior goalkeeper out on loan, Carljohan Eriksson.
Rule 61 of the SPFL’s regulations allows for the recall of goalkeepers in an emergency situation — even outside of a registration window.
It states: “The board (of the SPFL) may on cause shown, at any time, on such conditions and for a period of not more than seven days from the date of a recall approve the recall of a recognised goalkeeper by and to his transferor club and direct that such a recalled player shall be league registered to his transferor club.”
However, Courier Sport has sought clarification on that rule and can confirm it does NOT apply to international loans, so Eriksson will remain at FC Nordsjælland in Denmark.
Only keepers who have been farmed out to other Scottish clubs can be brought back when the transfer window is closed.
Will they dip into the free agent market?
Given United are likely to require a goalkeeper for a period longer than seven days (albeit, as we’ve established, that can be extended), an argument could be made for the Tannadice outfit snapping up a free agent.
Any player who was without a contract when the transfer window closed at the end of January is still fair game to sign.
While not an ideal situation — we are swiftly approaching March and many unattached goalkeepers may be in desperate need of match sharpness — there are no shortage of options.
Ex-Hearts keeper Victor Noring, former St Mirren stopper Dean Lyness, 23-times capped Lithuanian Giedrius Arlauskis, Czech international Marek Stech and Dillon Barnes, who turned out for Hibs; a small snapshot of the market.
If the budget is there, United may find an unlikely hero.
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