Darlington centre-back Gary Pearson will be missing for a further three months after being told he requires an operation on his troublesome neck injury.

He has been plagued by injury since making his Darlington debut in October last year, and now he faces more misery on the sidelines.

The defender, who was converted from midfield midway through last term after arriving from Durham City a year ago, suffered from the neck injury at the back end of last season and now boss Tommy Taylor is hoping to sign a replacement.

Taylor said: "He's been told that if he wasn't a footballer he wouldn't have to have the operation, but if he wants to continue as a professional he'll have to have the op."

Andy Collett has given the club a boost as he will be fit for the league kick-off at Cambridge United on August 10 having fully recovered from a collapsed lung.

Taylor is having to work within a tight transfer budget but is awaiting a response from two more potential new players having already made his first signing of the summer.

Chairman George Reynolds is keeping a close eye on the purse strings and as a result Taylor does not have the financial clout of some managers, though last week he was able to convince Matthew Clarke to come to Feethams.

Taylor said: "The chairman's given me a budget to work with and that is all there is to say about it.

"It's not a great deal of money but that's fair enough. I have got to work with that budget because the chairman is not going to change his mind."

With Pearson out and Paul Heckingbottom having left the club, the Quakers chief would like another central defender and a left back.

Referring to his two targets, Taaylor said: "We're waiting for them to sort things out at their end.

"It's nothing to do with us at the moment. Financially there's one or two things they need to sort out."

* Everton boss David Moyes has confirmed his interest in signing Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright.

Wright could find himself behind David Seaman in the Highbury pecking order if the England goalkeeper signs a new contract. Moyes said: ''I have made an inquiry for Richard Wright but further than that I don't want to say any more.''

* Ipswich goalkeeper Matteo Sereni will return to Italy next season with Brescia.

The Serie A side have announced a one-year loan deal for the 27-year-old keeper with a buy-out option at the end of the contract. Sereni struggled to settle in East Anglia after arriving last August from Sampdoria as the club's record signing in a £4.5million-plus move.

Although Sereni had penned a four-year deal, Ipswich manager George Burley agreed to let him go last month.

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