YORK City Knights remain in talks to extend crowd favourite Junior Vaivai's stay at Bootham Crescent - but he is not in the squad for Sunday's match at Swinton and boss James Ford admits it seems "unlikely" that a new deal will be reached.

The American international has scored three tries and made six in his three appearances on loan from Hull KR but the one-month agreement ended in midweek.

He did not feature in Rovers' bottom-of-the-table defeat to fellow Super League strugglers London Broncos on Thursday night and the Robins' new boss, Tony Smith, has intimated the 29-year-old could stay at York on a week-by-week basis, but it remains unclear where his immediate future lies.

The fact the New Zealand-born centre counts of the overseas quota is potentially an additional complication.

"I'm not sure what's happening with Junior. It's a complicated matter with lots of factors to consider," said Ford - who elsewhere is boosted by the return to fitness of prop Jordan Baldwinson.

"We will leave it to Jon (Flatman, Knights chairman), Junior's agent and Hull KR.

"I would like him to stay but at the minute I would say it's unlikely.

"We need to focus on the players we've definitely got at this club."

Ford is weighing up whether to recall Brad Hey at centre for Sunday's game at Heywood Road or give England Academy captain Cam Scott a debut in Vaivai's stead following his loan switch from Hull.

Asked if the team will miss Vaivai's creative influence on the edges, the head coach said: "It is what it is.

"We've had him for a few games and he's performed well. But Brad Hey was really unlucky to lose his place after his efforts against Toulouse. He's coped with it well and he's trained well, and I'm sure he will show us a response when he next plays.

"I've worked with Cam Scott before and I know what I'm getting.

"It's not a good thing to lose Junior, it's not a positive, but we've got some blokes who are more than capable of stepping in."

Vaivai's Hull KR club-mate Will Oakes remains on loan and, while not selected this weekend, is likely to play in Wednesday's 1895 Cup quarter-final at home to Batley.

Likewise Leeds loanee Tyler Dupree has extended his spell at York and is set to next feature in midweek.

Ford says he has been quite taken by the teenage prop.

"Tyler has narrowly missed out this weekend but he will feature on Wednesday," he said.

"I'm really pleased with that he's doing. For a 19-year-old front-rower playing in a tough competition, he's showing promise. He's also keen to improve and he keeps coming to us asking what we mean by certain things and asking for little pointers.

"I like how he's fitted in with the team off the field. He's quite a cheeky little chap - well, big chap - and I'm enjoying having him around."

Dupree played in last week's romp against Rochdale but his place will be taken this weekend by either fit-again Baldwinson or Jack Blagbrough.

The former has been sidelined by a knee injury since limping out of the win at Rochdale on May 12. He had only just made his loan switch from Wakefield permanent, having made his York bow a month earlier.

Said Ford: "I'm really pleased to bring him back.

"He was going okay for us, showing lots of promise building towards the back end of the season before he picked up the injury.

"He's dealt with it well and he's keen to get out there and continue where he left off. He does strengthen the squad."

Swinton will make a few alterations to the side that stunned second-placed Toulouse in France last Saturday - the most notable being a debut for Scott Moore.

The former Super League and England hooker joined the Lions from Rochdale this week in a swap deal for Kyle Shelford.

They will have four players on dual-reg or loan from Wigan in utility back Craig Mullen and packmen Jack Wells, Liam Byrne and Samy Kibula.

Swinton (possible): Ashton, Butt, Lloyd, Mullen, Lepori, Hansen, Fairclough, Bennion, Waterworth, Hatton, Halton, Wells, Byrne. Subs: from Moore, Kibula, Jones, Kenga, Gray, Brickhill.

Knights: Marsh, Bass, Salter, C Scott/Hey, Whiteley, Harris, Robinson, Teanby, Jubb, Horne, Jordan-Roberts, S Scott, Spears. Subs: Ellis, Dixon, Stock, Baldwinson/Blagbrough.