LEEDS United boss Brian McDermott is hoping to seal the arrival of a new player before the Championship derby against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Keen to inject new blood into a squad that sits eighth in the Championship but, without a win since December 14, McDermott said: “I’d like to think that we’ll definitely have someone in before Sheffield Wednesday.

“We need to freshen things up. I was convinced about that before Christmas and we certainly need to do that now. I said last week we are close, and things are progressing.

“We are certainly in a rut now and we need to get out of it. I think that the team seem to have run out of gas.

“We need to galvanise this team and I think that is probably going to come from outside the football club.”

United have picked up just two points from their last four League games and also exited the FA Cup at League Two Rochdale in the third round last weekend.

Meanwhile, United are to play a friendly game at Harrogate Town tonight, kick off at 7.30pm, at Town’s Wetherby Road ground.

Leeds central defender Ross Killock, aged 19, has agreed to extend his loan spell at Conference Premier outfit Chester until the end of the season.