Scunthorpe United are hoping Adrian Mariappa remains at Watford as their loan bid for David Mirfin is unlikely to go ahead if the Hornets' vice captain leaves the club today.

Mirfin was signed from Scunthorpe in the summer as immediate cover for Mariappa and Martin Taylor but when Taylor sustained an injury, Sean Dyche quickly moved to sign Nyron Nosworthy.

This means Mirfin has made just five appearances since arriving at Vicarage Road and Alan Knill is keen to bring the experienced centre half back to Glanford Park.

"I'm hopeful there'll be some new faces," Knill told the Scunthorpe Telegraph this morning.

"But we're governed by other clubs and we're finding that they're waiting just in case they lose players on the last day.

"That makes it pretty difficult, so we probably won't know definitely until a lot later this evening.

"It will only be loans. We're not buying anybody, we're just looking to loan people.

"The clubs that have players are cautious, because they might lose players on the last day of the transfer window."

Mirfin made 111 appearances in his three years at Scunthorpe, who he joined from Huddersfield Town - where he played 177 times.