St Mirren will have to play the second half of the season without loan defender Sean McLoughlin who has returned to Hull.

The 23-year-old centre-back was loaned to the Saints in the summer after signing from Irish side Cork City and became a mainstay for Jim Goodwin's side, featuring 21 times for the Ladbrokes Premiership outfit.

Goodwin was without centre-backs Kirk Broadfoot and Gary MacKenzie through injury going into the winter break and is likely to move to add to his squad in January.

A statement on the Buddies official website said: "St Mirren Football Club can confirm that Sean McLoughlin has left the Buddies to return to his parent club, Hull City following the expiry of his loan deal.

"The Irish defender joined Saints on a short-term loan from the English Championship side in August.

"Sean became a key player in his time at the Buddies making 21 appearances and scoring in a 2-1 win over Ross County in November.

"The club would like to thank Sean for his contributions and wish him all the best for his future career."