Latics in deadline-day swoop

OUT TO IMPRESS . . . midfielder Wade Joyce.

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ATHLETIC made a double deadline day swoop by landing loan pair Wade Joyce and Ellis Plummer on one-month youth deals.

Joyce, a central midfield player who has recently turned out for Athletic’s reserves, has signed from Barnsley.

The 19-year-old left Sunderland to move to Oakwell in the summer on a deal which runs out at the start of January.

The son of Oldham-born former Preston and Hull defender Warren, who is currently in charge of the reserves at Manchester United, Joyce was formerly a scholar at Bury.

Plummer, meanwhile, is in on loan from Manchester City. The England youth international (19) can play at left-back or centre-back. Audenshaw-born Plummer joined City from Stockport County in 2006.

The news comes amid a trio of injury blows for the club.

Cristian Montano is expected to be missing for around eight weeks, after a scan revealed he has a grade two tear of a lateral knee ligament.

Edijs Joksts has suffered a stress fracture to his back and will be out for at least 10 weeks.

And Kirk Millar has a grade one strain to a calf and a grade one tear of medial ankle ligaments and will be absent from action for between two and three weeks.

n FORMER Athletic winger Lee Croft, last season’s Chronicle Star Man, has joined SPL side St Johnstone on a deal until the end of the season.