City manager Paul Lambert insists he would be happy to play out the rest of the Championship season with his existing squad if necessary.

Lambert is still pulling out all the stops to try to bring in another loan signing to boost his team's promotion challenge, and earlier this week Bolton manager Owen Coyle revealed that striker Robbie Blake had turned down a temporary move to Carrow Road.

But the City boss said: 'If we don't get anybody in I'm entirely comfortable and happy with what I've got because these lads have never let me down. They won't let themselves down.

'Whatever happens this season, we have made it an incredible time up to this point and we will keep going.

'I'm not going to bring somebody in because people are suggesting X, Y and Z. It's impossible to do it at times, but it's not for the lack of trying.

'But teams are not going to let ones out when they're fighting for their lives and teams are not going to let ones in if they're near the top and then you've got people who don't really want to come.'

He added: 'There are names that you try. I've spoken to loads and loads of people.

'The thing about loans, the disappointment is some players don't want to come out.

'You try and try and try but if people don't want to come to the club then that indicates to me that they don't want to play here.

'I've said before I don't want to bring people here for an easy time. I've brought in Rob Edwards and he's a different breed.

'He can't wait to get going and he knows the team's going well but he's a proper professional footballer with a great mentality for the game.

'There have been numerous calls to different clubs and managers. Some managers come back and say the player doesn't want to come out, even though he can't get in their 18.'