Marcus Bignot hopes he will be able to extend the loan deal for Reece Hall-Johnson at Chester FC .

The 22-year-old full back has been impressive since arriving on loan from League Two side Grimsby Town in October and returned to the starting line-up following a four-week lay off through injury in good form on Saturday as the Blues earned a vital 1-0 success over fellow relegation strugglers Solihull Moors .

Former Norwich City and Braintree Town man Hall-Johnson’s initial loan deal expires next month, and while there are no concrete plans for what happens beyond that date, Bignot stated his desire to keep hold of him for as long as possible.

“Come January we want to have a squad that is fully fit and ready to do battle as we go into the business end of what is going to be a very tough season for us,” said Bignot.

“We would very much like Reece to be a part of that moving forward. His deal expires in January but he is someone who we would like to have in our plans beyond that if we are able to do it.

“He has been a plus for us since coming in and you could see what he brought to the side on Saturday and how big it was for us to have him back in the squad.

“We’d very much like to keep him with us but there are other factors that determine these things.”

Hall-Johnson has made six appearances for the Blues since arriving from Grimsby and netted a superb strike in the 3-2 win over Barrow on October 24.

The Blues take on AFC Fylde in the FA Trophy this weekend and could be boosted by the return of left back Jordan Gough after he missed the win over Moors following the birth of his baby daughter.