Northampton manager, Jon Brady, has stated that he is not looking to add to his squad despite the double blow of losing defensive pair Sid Nelson and Joseph Mills, as per The Northampton Chronicle & Echo.

Mills fractured his ankle in August’s goalless draw with Crawley and has undergone surgery and Nelson is now scheduled to also go under the knife after suffering knee ligament damage following what Brady described as an innocuous incident in training.

Given the nature of the injuries, both players are likely to be unavailable for months but Brady has stated that the immediate plan is to use the resources currently at his disposal rather than seek cover from elsewhere.

The Cobblers currently only have Michael Harriman and Dominic Revan, on loan from Aston Villa, as defensive cover should there be any further injuries in the backline but with neither player having made an appearance as yet this season, Northampton will hope that their run of bad luck is over.

Brady could also recall 18-year-old defenders, Max Dyche or Josh Flanagan, from their loan spells at Kettering and St Ives respectively, but this appears unlikely given Brady’s resolve to work with his current squad.

Northampton visit Newport tonight with Brady hoping for a quick response following Saturday’s late defeat at Forest Green.

The Verdict

There appears to be an element of risk in Jon Brady’s decision not to explore the free-agent market to address his defensive woes, especially as he has admitted that one of his only two alternatives, Dominic Revan, is not at the level of fitness Brady would like. Should Northampton’s next few games see their defensive frailty exposed, expect to see Brady reassess his stance on recruiting further cover.