Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell was pleased to announce that Michael Nottingham’s loan agreement had been extended to ensure that he will remain at Gresty Road until the end of the current campaign.

The 31-year-old hasn’t missed a game for the Railwaymen since arriving from Blackpool in January, with 12 appearances and one goal to his name so far.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak it presented an uncertainty amongst clubs on the extension of loan deals, but with two now already secured, the Alex boss remains confident Chuma will follow suit soon.

Artell told the club’s official website: “Due to the unprecedented circumstances it threw up a problem, a conundrum. Stephen Walker was fine, because his will run until the end of June. But Michael’s didn’t and Chuma’s didn’t. We’re still trying to crack on with Chuma’s, but I can’t see it being a problem.

“On Michael though, that’s now all been signed and agreed, so he will be with us for the last nine games.”

As we enter the eighth weekend without football, manager Dave Artell has been making sure that spirits remain high within the camp.

He said: “I have spoken with Michael a couple of times, just to check up on him and make sure he is ok. I just think he’s appreciative of the fact that we do care about our players and he’s no different from the rest.

“But, when you first come to this football club, it’s sometimes a shock to be cared for. It’s sometimes not like that at other clubs and I’m not saying that’s the case at Blackpool because they have a fantastic manager with Critch (Neil Critchley).

“I don’t know obviously whether that’s been the case in his career, but when we look after our players, our actions speak louder than any words we can speak. Because we do try and look after our players the best we can.”