Cobblers already 'looking at players' to potentially sign in January

With his squad decimated by injuries, Nolan will be keen to sign players next month just to give him more depth and flexibility if nothing else. Town’s bench is currently being filled by teenagers from the academy and against Shrewsbury on Sunday they started with only two natural attackers.

Nothing is imminent ahead of the transfer window opening on New Year’s Day but the people behind the scenes at the club are well aware of the need to do business in January.

"If we can get some of the lads back from injury and do a bit of business in January, I’m confident we can get the squad to where we want it to be,” said Nolan.

"I've not had any conversations. We have had a look at a few players who we feel could come in and improve the squad. You put some feelers out and see if they would like to come to us.

"I think what we need to do is get through these next two games and then I'll sit down with James (Whiting), Kelvin (Thomas) and Alex (Latimer) and look at where I feel the squad can get better.

"Can we get better? If not, we work with the group we have. We won't just take players for the sake of it. We want people to come in to improve the squad. It's not something we have got down and dirty with at the moment because I've been fully focused on these games but it's just another part of the job and it’s something else that will give me sleepless nights over the next few weeks!”