DEFENDER Chris Robertson will seek a return to full match fitness by completing a 28-day loan spell at an unnamed club, Richie Wellens has confirmed.

Robertson is yet to make a single appearance for Swindon this season after spending large parts of the season recovering from a stress fracture to his ankle – which ruled him out for the season’s first two months.

He has since recovered from his ankle knock, but Town boss Wellens admits the 33-year-old centre half is not at full match fitness.

Therefore, Wellens has made a verbal agreement with an unnamed club to allow Robertson to spend 28 days on loan with a recall option.

With Sid Nelson’s Swindon Town future looking bleak, Olly Lancashire on the sidelines for another two weeks and Luke Woolfenden under the thumb of Ipswich Town boss Paul Lambert, Wellens is wary that he might need to call upon Robertson later in the season.

Getting his match fitness up to an appropriate level is therefore key.

“I’ve had a conversation with Chris Robertson, he’s going to go on loan,” said the Town boss.

“We’re going to have a 28-day recall on that loan.

“When I’m short on centre backs, like this weekend, then if Robertson is match-fit then he would be in the squad.

“But he’s not match-fit so I wouldn’t even contemplate putting him in the starting XI.

“Therefore, if he goes away and plays four or five games, we can recall him and see where we are at.

“At least then we will have a fit centre back and not one that has just come back from injury.”

Holding midfielder Toumani Diagouraga is in a similar boat to Robertson, with Wellens asking the Frenchman if he would also like to go on loan.

The 31-year-old insisted on remaining at Town though, prompting Wellens to continue his search for a suitable behind-closed-doors game to get some of his men lacking match fitness up to speed.

Wellens said: “I asked the same question to Toumani (Digouraga), but he wants to stay.

“It’s difficult at this time of year because the pitches are deteriorating and there are a lot of injuries and suspensions.

“We’re trying to arrange games, but no one is interested in those games at the minute.

“We have players like Robertson and Toumani that need minutes.”