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Abbott seeks Liddle extension

Image: Liddle: Eye-catching showings

Greg Abbott is hoping to reach an agreement which will see Michael Liddle remain at Carlisle.

Cumbrians also keen to keep Kavanagh

Carlisle boss Greg Abbott is hoping to reach an agreement which will see Michael Liddle remain at the club until the end of the season. The full-back is currently on loan at the Cumbrians from Premier League outfit Sunderland and has impressed greatly during his time at Brunton Park. With Ricky Sbragia having recently been appointed as the new manager at the Stadium of Light on a permanent basis, his intentions for those players currently out on loan remains unclear. However, Abbot is hoping that his close friendship with the Black Cats boss will hand him an advantage in his efforts to retain the services of Liddle. "I will be talking business with Ricky today and I want to tie up Michael for a bit longer," Abbott told the News and Star. "He has done ever so well since he came here and he is only going to get better. "I don't think we will be able to get him on a permanent basis, but if Sunderland will let us do something to the end of the season then I would be delighted with that. "It would provide excellent competition between Michael and Evan Horwood and that position would be effectively sorted for the season."

Influence

Meanwhile, Abbot is also hoping to resolve the future of another Sunderland loanee, Graham Kavanagh. The former Republic of Ireland international will see his current deal with the Cumbrians expire after Saturday's visit to Walsall. Abbot is keen to extend the 35-year-old's stay, but has ruled out the possibility of the former Stoke and Wigan man being offered a coaching role at the club. "That is people putting five and six together and getting 63," he added. "If coaching is something Kav wants to do in the future, it will be looked at down the line. But at the moment he has got to concentrate on the playing side. "I want him to have as much influence on the pitch as possible. I have had some long conversations with him about his role in the team and it has been good dialogue. "His performances against Oldham and Huddersfield were tremendous and I will be talking to Ricky about that situation as well."

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