YORK City have signed Bristol Rovers striker Ryan Brunt on a one-month loan deal - but the club have been told Charlton goalkeeper Nick Pope is staying put.

Ex-Stoke City reserve Brunt, 21, has been brought in to bolster a City strikeforce that has failed to score in five of the last seven matches.

Minstermen chief Nigel Worthington has also revealed that he has inquired about the possibility of bringing Pope back to Bootham Crescent following last season's 24-game loan spell in which he kept 16 clean sheets and only conceded 12 goals.

Pope, who made four appearances for the Addicks earlier this season, is currently playing second fiddle at the Valley to another one-time City loan signing Stephen Henderson, but Belgian boss Bob Peeters wants to keep two senior shot-stoppers at the Championship outfit.

Birmingham-born Brunt arrives in North Yorkshire having only played four matches, including two starts, for Conference high-fliers Rovers this term.

From November onwards, due to knee trouble, he was also unable to play no part as the Pirates lost their place in the Football League last season with his final appearance coming in a 3-3 FA Cup first round draw against the Minstermen.

That problem required an operation but, at 6ft 1in, Worthington believes Brunt can bring a physical presence to City's front line, saying: "He's a very good, young player, who is a good build.

"He's a grafter and is a bit of an old-fashioned centre forward really in the way he puts himself about, so he will give us another dimension.

"It's also good to have a new face in the dressing room to get ready for a big game at home to Portsmouth on Saturday."

Worthington added that he believes Brunt, who also suffered cruciate knee ligament damage as a teenager, could be just as effective in the 4-2-3-1 formation he used at Dagenham last weekend or the 4-4-2 system he has favoured for the rest of the season.

At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, with Pope unavailable, the City boss has called on keepers Michael Ingham and Jason Mooney to prove he does not need to bring in another net-minder.

Current first-choice Ingham has made costly mistakes against Exeter and Southend after winning his place back from Mooney last month and also conceded a goal from inside his own six-yard box at Dagenham.

On that situation, Worthington said: "We put in a phone call about Nick Pope because he's on the bench at Charlton, but there was nothing doing because he is still next in line there.

"From a financial point of view, it wouldn't be ideal if we were carrying three keepers but, if you have to do things, you do them and the ball is in Michael and Jason's court - very much so."