Ben Turner: Coventry re-sign Cardiff City defender on loan

Ben Turner scored for Cardiff City against Liverpool to take the 2012 League Cup final to extra time

Coventry City have re-signed defender Ben Turner from Cardiff City on a short-term loan until 3 January.

Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray hopes the temporary return of 6ft 4ins Turner, 27, to the club can improve City's aerial strength at the back and plug the gap left by Reda Johnson's injury.

"It has been no secret that we've been looking to add to our defensive options since we lost Reda Johnson," he said.

"I've long been aware of Ben's ability, as well as his physical attributes."

Birmingham-born Sky Blues academy graduate Turner, who joined Cardiff from Coventry in August 2011, has signed on an emergency loan deal, subject to Fifa clearance.

Meanwhile, Coventry are to extend former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole's loan from Aston Villa until early January.

Cole, who has so far scored once in three appearances, signed initially on a 35-day emergency loan on 19 October.

Turner will be expected to come straight in for this weekend's home game with League One leaders Gillingham, when City have the chance to go top.

The Sky Blues will start the day in second, level on points with the Gills, both sides having won last weekend when previous pacesetters Walsall and Burton Albion were both without a game because of international commitments.

Turner's time at Coventry and Cardiff

Turner scored four times in 84 appearances for Coventry before moving to Cardiff for an undisclosed fee.

He has made 120 appearances, all in his first three seasons with Cardiff, proving a mainstay of the Bluebirds' Championship promotion-winning campaign in 2013.

But he suffered an ankle injury which caused him to miss the first three months of last season, then suffered a similar injury in January. He returned for the final game of last season, but has not featured since.

He also had loans spells early on in his Sky Blues career, first with Peterborough United, then at Oldham Athletic.