Northampton Saints have signed tight-head prop Conor Carey on a contract to the end of the season.

The 30-year-old spent the past two seasons with Worcester Warriors following spells with Ealing Trailfinders, Nottingham and Connacht.

Meanwhile, scrum-half Chris Cook has left Saints without making an appearance since signing a similar short-term deal in July.

"Unfortunately Oisín Heffernan picked up a nasty hamstring injury, leaving us with only three senior tight-heads, so Conor has come in to allow him to fully concentrate on his recovery," said Northampton scrum coach Matt Ferguson.

"You know anyone called into the Top14 to play front row is good in the scrum, but Conor also moves the ball pretty well and has a lot of top-flight experience behind him, so to get him in on short notice is fantastic."

Northampton are fourth in the Premiership table following four wins in five games and are at home to leaders Leicester Tigers on Saturday.

"I'm thrilled to get this opportunity to join Northampton Saints," said Carey, who is England qualified despite playing for Ireland at under-20 level.

"The team have started the season really well and I'm excited to get involved with the group and make an impact on the field."