SWINDON Town boss Phil Brown remains eager to sign Japanese trialist Eijin Kishimoto on a permanent basis, but does not believe the pending suspension for Kyle Knoyle will accelerate the issue.

Right-back Knoyle will miss Town’s next three League Two matches after being sent off in the 1-0 win at Morecambe at the weekend.

Kishimoto can play at full-back or wing-back, so would seem an ideal replacement given the lack of other options to cover Knoyle in the Town squad at present.

Brown has been able to extend the 23-year-old’s trial in Wiltshire for another week and although he now wants to make him a full-time addition, the Town boss is still awaiting the green light from the club’s hierarchy.

“It is an ongoing thing. I have managed to secure Eijin for another week and we are having a look at the situation,” said Brown.

“You are probably better off speaking to the chief executive (Steve Anderson) to see how far down the line we are, but I will be popping into his office and making sure it is nudging in the right direction towards us as opposed to away from us.

“There are all sorts of loopholes to jump through and I suppose the main one is the work permit.

“I don’t think it is a case of accelerating it. It is an unknown, it is a toss of a coin.

“All I can say to my superiors is that I have witnessed what I have on the training ground.

“Yes, they might see that Kyle Knoyle has got a three-match ban and we haven’t really got a right-back in the camp.

“Having said that, Luke Woolfenden deputised there on Saturday and showed the right kind of attitude and right kind of ability with the ball.

“James Dunne has done that to a certain extent too, so it isn’t a case of I haven’t got a right-back in the camp at all, but he is a natural right-back.”

Town are back in action tomorrow night when they host Newport County at the Energy Check County Ground in the second of three Checkatrade Trophy group games.