Charlton head coach Michael Appleton on handing short-term keeper deal to former Dons loanee Sam Walker

Charlton Athletic have signed Sam Walker on a short-term deal with head coach Michael Appleton admitting keeper Harry Isted’s return date from a knee injury is not set in stone.

Addicks boss Appleton initially feared that Isted, signed on a free transfer in the summer, had suffered a serious setback after hyper-extending his leg in a 0-0 draw at Shrewsbury Town last month.

Gravesend-born Walker, pictured, started on the books of Chelsea and has represented nine clubs at senior level.

The 32-year-old counts AFC Wimbledon as one of his many loan spells and played 213 times for Colchester United. He had been a free agent since leaving Kilmarnock at the end of last season.

“Sam has got a lot of experience and he has played a lot of games in League One and League Two,” Appleton told the South London Press. “He is almost like, excuse the pun, a safe pair of hands.

“We are in a bit of a tricky situation with the injury to H (Isted) and it’s not ideal going into games with one senior goalkeeper and having lads who have played less than five games or not had any senior experience. Sam gives us that and a little bit of security.”

Isted had started the campaign on the bench but was handed five successive League One starts before  his spell on the sidelines.

Ashley Maynard-Brewer has been restored to the Charlton line-up in his absence.

Asked about how much longer Isted will be unavailable, Appleton said: “We won’t know if that gets extended until he starts doing some physical work. I think he is off his brace in the next couple of weeks and once he does that, and starts to do the physical work, we will have a lot more detail on it.

“If he has any reactions or it’s not quite healed properly then we will get a better idea on the timeline.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD