NEW keeper Chris Day has hailed his one month move to Deepdale as a great chance to secure first team football once again.

But the decision on whether to extend the QPR keeper's loan move to Preston will depend heavily on the severity of the injury sustained by Gavin Ward last weekend.

Day, 29, signed on a month's loan at Deepdale yesterday morning - in time for the fixture at Nottingham Forest.

Billy Davies had hoped to keep the deal under wraps until the team sheets were put out - playing up the fact North End were down to the bare bones between the sticks.

With both Andrew Lonergan - out for the season after damaging knee ligaments in training - and Gavin Ward - knocked out by a late challenge during the 1-1 draw against Ipswich last week - ruled out, only youngster Chris Neal and out-of-favour Jonathan Gould were available.

But news of the Day signing was revealed on the QPR website yesterday morning - even before the deal had been completed.

Day said: "It's a chance to play and put myself in the shop window.

"Preston are also in the play-off places so I've also ended up moving up a few places in the league.

"This really is a great opportunity for me and I feel really positive about it. I'm not in the QPR team at the moment, Preston need a keeper and when they asked for me I certainly wasn't going to turn it down.

"I want to play and show I'm worth a contract either at QPR or, if it comes to it, somewhere else."

Ward must wait a fortnight until swelling on his eye dies down before consultants tell him how long he will be out of action. Lonergan could be out for nine months and is described by Davies as 'gutted.'

Referring to Day, the manager said: "He is here for a month and we will review it after that. Obviously, his experience is a boost to the team."

Davies revealed that he had rung every team in the Premiership in search of a keeper. He said that on Tuesday - and that news would have suggested to Forest that Neal was due between the goal posts again last night.

At the other end of the field, however, there is much better news. David Nugent, who got his second in two weeks and his first goal at home last Friday, has pledged more goals to come..

But that has led to rival striker Simon Lynch, on loan at Blackpool, to admit his Deepdale days are over. He wants his Preston connection to end in the summer.