Saturday 18 October 2014 10:37, UK
Stuart Pearce is scouring the market for loan additions at Nottingham Forest, but is also prepared to lean on youngsters.
Sky Bet Championship high-fliers Forest have the luxury of working with a big squad, but injuries have still hit them hard.
Key men such as Andy Reid and Jack Hobbs are currently sidelined, along with club captain Chris Cohen.
Their absence has opened the door to the likes of Ben Osborn and Jorge Grant – academy graduates full of promise – and Pearce says he will give them every opportunity to prove their worth before looking to recruit from elsewhere.
He said in the Nottingham Post: “You have to do it within your squad if you cannot find somebody in the loan market who can replicate what he (Reid) brings to the team.
“If I was a young player in the squad right now, I might be thinking that this could be an opportunity for me.
“If I was Osborn or Grant, I might view this as being an opportunity to get myself into the first team.
“We are aware we do need to supplement the squad in the loan market, if we can. But we believe we have the quality in the squad otherwise, if we cannot make that happen.”
While Pearce is open to bringing fresh faces into his ranks, with top targets identified, he insists he will not be adding for the sake of it.
He said: “We have made enquiries about certain individuals, we have asked the question over the last 10 days or so, about individuals who could come and help us. But, at this moment in time, people don’t want to move on the players we have asked about.
You are always looking at your squad where you need to add. But I am not bringing anyone in just as a body. There is no benefit for us, the player or his club to send a player here to sit in the squad.
“We are waiting on answers on a couple and we have had negative answers about others. That tells you that we are sniffing around good players.”
He added: “You are always looking at your squad where you need to add. But I am not bringing anyone in just as a body. There is no benefit for us, the player or his club to send a player here to sit in the squad.
“We need somebody to come in and have an impact.”
Pearce has also reiterated that injuries at Newcastle United – with goalkeeper Tim Krul having picked up a knock – will have no impact on Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles, with the pair having been returned to Forest on season-long loans after agreeing moves to St James’ Park.
He said: “I am led to believe that neither Karl nor Jamaal can be recalled. That is what I have always been led to believe.”
