Lincoln boss Chris Sutton has acquired midfielder Chris Herd on a short-term loan from Aston Villa. The Australia Under-20 international will remain at Sincil Bank until January 2 and goes straight into Sutton's squad for the FA Cup second-round tie at Northwich Victoria on Saturday.

Herd has yet to make his first-team bow for Villa since joining the Premier League club from Australian outfit Bayswater City in February 2005, but he has been a regular in the reserves.