JOHN O'Sullivan is in contention to start for Bury this afternoon after signing from Blackburn Rovers.

The attacking-midfielder joined the Shakers yesterday on a 28-day emergency loan and could to make his debut against Walsall.

The 22-year-old has only made a handful of senior appearances at Ewood Park but spent most of his recent development on with loan with lower-league clubs such as Southport, Accrington Stanley, Barnsley and most recently Rochdale.

O'Sullivan can play through the middle or out wide, an area that is short of numbers following utility man Craig Jones' nasty injury picked against Bradford.

Jones was rushed to hospital following a clash of heads last weekend but manager David Flitcroft has since confirmed that the injury is not as serious as first feared.

“You’ve got a player there that has landed very awkwardly on his neck, and when you see the club doctor on any pitch now, after incidences we’ve seen over the past couple of years, you do get worried,” he said.

“Myself and the players were concerned, but Craig is stable. We got him to hospital really quick, I spoke to him the day after and he’s settled, but just had a few headaches.

“He won’t be available for this Saturday’s game, but he’ll be in light training towards the end of the week.

“I’m just delighted that it was nothing more sinister, because that’s sometimes that you can think in those situations.”

Former Bury forward Brayden Shaw has joined Accrington Stanley after being released from his Shakers contract last week.

The 18-year-old youth team graduate failed to break into the first team at Gigg Lane after scoring 13 goals in 11 games when the under-18's won the North West Youth Alliance league title in 2014/15, and has now signed a six-month contract at the Crown Ground.

Meanwhile, Bury's away fixture against Barnsley, originally scheduled for Saturday, February 6, has been rearranged for Sunday, February 7 due to the Tyke's involvement in the Johnstone Paint Trophy area final.