Northampton manager Stuart Gray is confident Paul Rodgers will prove his fitness and earn a deal at Sixfields.

The former Arsenal right-back is training with the Cobblers after being released by the Gunners and Gray is certain he has recovered from a knee injury which curtailed his loan spell last season.

Gray said: "Paul Rodgers has come in and trained very well. We are only running at the moment so I need to see him in a game situation as well."

He continued: "He's had surgery on his knee but our physio Stuart Barker is happy with him and he's not been in the treatment room which is pleasing. But we need to make sure he is fully fit because the budget is so tight we can't afford to have players injured all the time."