Sunderland striker Nelson in Falkirk's sights again

The 20-year-old became a fan favourite in his brief spell at Westfield last season before heading home to the north-east of England.

Hartley this week admitted he’d be a player he’d like to bring back to the club, if he could, as he continued to seek out a new striker.

Nelson hit four goals in five months at Falkirk, but his season was ended early by a broken cheekbone in a clash with Dunfermline defender Jean-Yves M’Voto.

Hartley said: “He’s a player we do like, but he’s been out injured for a few weeks.

“We do want to bring a forward in and hopefully we can do something before the window next week.

“He’s a player I like but it all depends on his injury situation. Would I like him back? Yes of course but we have to look at where he is in terms of his fitnes, is he ready or how long will it be for him to be back?

“He’s a player who did really well here and a player I liked working with, but there’s a lot of things it depends on.

“We’ve got one or two other options to look at and hopefully there can be a bit of movement before the end of next week because we want to be as strong as we can be between now and January.

“We’ve been light in recent weeks with injuries.”