HEAD coach Paul Mariner wants to sign a right-back before Plymouth Argyle's away game against Reading tomorrow.

It follows a freak ankle injury to Karl Duguid in the Pilgrims' 1-0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at Home Park on Saturday.

Duguid was replaced at right-back by substitute David McNamee, but he was also hurt late on.

McNamee was on the receiving end of a lunging tackle from West Brom winger Jerome Thomas, which saw him sent-off by referee Steve Tanner.

The former Scotland international was able to continue playing after treatment, but his shin will have been sore over the weekend.

Football League clubs can make 'emergency loan' signings as from tomorrow.

It is thought Mariner could try to re-sign Manchester United right-back David Gray for a third loan stint with the Pilgrims.

Mariner saw Gray captain – and score for – United's reserves in a 1-0 win against Bolton Wanderers recently.

However, the Argyle head coach would not confirm whether Gray was the right-back he would be targeting.

He said: "I have someone in mind, but I'm not willing to divulge who it is."

Duguid suffered a badly sprained ankle in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

There was no-one near him when he fell awkwardly on the heavily-divoted Home Park pitch.

Mariner said: "He (Duguid) has been playing fantastic for us. He's a very solid player.

"He just rolled his ankle, unfortunately, in a big pile of mud.

"We actually got the signal he had broken it, but it looks as though he hasn't done that.

"We will be monitoring him very closely," added the Pilgrims' head coach.

Mariner thought the referee had no option but to send off Thomas for his challenge on McNamee in second half stoppage time.

"It wasn't the best tackle in the world, was it?" he said.

"He (McNamee) is going to be sore, but I think he's okay because he was caught high up on the shin. There was no doubt about the red card, for me."

New arrivals Damien Johnson and United States international striker Kenny Cooper made their debuts for relegation-threatened Argyle against West Brom.

Johnson, signed from Birmingham City on a two-and-a-half year contract, started in the centre of midfield with captain Carl Fletcher.

The experienced pair worked tirelessly, snapping into tackles and setting up attacks.

Cooper, who will spend the rest of the season on loan from 1860 Munich, was named among Argyle's substitutes.

But the 6ft 3in striker came on as a 59th minute substitute for Rory Fallon.

Johnson had only played for Birmingham three times this season but, he showed good stamina to last the pace against West Brom.

Mariner said: "I thought he did fine, considering what his situation at Birmingham was. He hasn't been playing 90-power minutes for them.

"Look at that field. You aren't playing 90 minutes – you are playing a game and a half. It's sapping to say the least."

Cooper was playing for the first time since suffering a knee injury in November.

He took over from Fallon as the strike partner to Jamie Mackie and had one chance to score when curling a 25-yard free-kick over the crossbar.

Mariner said: "The reason behind Kenny not starting was because Rory has been doing exceptionally well.

"Kenny has played in the States and in Germany, but the Championship is a pretty unique league to say the least.

"I wanted him to have a look at it from close up, to see what he was getting into. I felt that was fair to him and fair to Rory, who has put a lot of hours in for us and been a bit of a battering ram.

"With a lot of games coming up, we do need to be conscious of what we are doing with our players."

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