What is an emergency loan and how does it work?
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Football clubs are permitted to sign a goalkeeper on an emergency loan deal under circumstances that meet English Football League (EFL) and Premier League regulations.
The system allows a team to sign a goalkeeper on a temporary basis, providing all other professional keepers at a club are unavailable to play.
In the EFL, this could be as a result of:
Injury
Suspension
A player being called up for international duty
Exceptional circumstances
Medical evidence of an injury must also be provided to the league by a medical professional who is not associated with a club or another team.
The loan signing must also start in the next fixture and the unavailable goalkeepers cannot be named in the matchday squad.
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Under EFL regulations, the transfer can only be for a maximum of seven days, but the loan period may be renewed on a week-by-week basis should the goalkeeping crisis persist.
Emergency goalkeeper loans are allowed in the Premier League, but they can only happen in "exceptional circumstances", subject to the permission of its board.
However, the Premier League does not allow goalkeepers to transfer on loan to a club in the EFL on an emergency goalkeeper loan.
Sheffield Wednesday are the latest club to make use of the emergency loan system, signing Joe Lumley on a seven-day loan after number one Ethan Horvath was suspended.
In 2010, Manchester City received special dispensation to sign goalkeeper Marton Fulop on loan after Shay Given and Stuart Taylor were both injured.
What about outfielders?
Goalkeeper Sander Westerveld played two games for Everton on emergency loan in 2006
Outfield players have been prevented from moving on short-term loans since prior to the 2016-17 season, when Fifa outlawed the practice in a bid to protect the "sporting integrity of competitions".
Under the old system, clubs in the EFL could sign players on deals ranging between 28 and 93 days in two periods outside of the regular transfer windows.
Former Ipswich Town and Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was among the managers who criticised changes to the loan system.
"Harry Kane wouldn't be the England striker without him going to Millwall, Leicester and Norwich," he said in 2016.
"It seems to get good young players, who are never, ever going to play in the top team's first team, some experience. Where are they going to get it?"
But some footballers criticised the short-term loan system because they struggled to settle in and adjust to their new club.
Thanks to Aidan for the question.
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