Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver reveals his plans for the January transfer window

Football League clubs will be able to begin signing players again from New Year’s Day and have until 11pm on Tuesday, January 31 to get deals done.

No fewer than 16 new recruits arrived at Wetherby Road during the summer window and, as a result, it was not expected that the Sulphurites would be particularly active in the transfer market over the coming weeks.

But, Town currently have seven players sidelined through injury and question marks hanging over the fitness of both Alex Pattison and Dior Angus ahead of Thursday’s trip to Bradford City.

Thus, Weaver has confirmed that he is likely to do some business next month once he has a clearer idea of how the land lies.

“We will possibly look to bring in one or two. Had you been asking me this question in November I might have been saying that we needed three or four bodies,” he told the Harrogate Advertiser.

“But, we have been playing better, getting results and we do have a number of lads back fit again, plus a few more who aren’t too far away.

“We should have a stronger squad to select from in the coming weeks and really we want to see how the next few games play out.

“We won’t be panicked into doing anything. We’ll look to assess it properly from the second week in January once we have a bit of a clearer picture.”

With regard to the specific areas of his squad that he feels may need reinforcing, Weaver added: “We will explore all areas, but the left-back position is the one we feel we really need some cover because of Lewis Richards’ injury.

“Obviously both Joe Mattock and Warren Burrell are capable of playing there, so we do have some back-up to Jaheim [Headley], but that is an area of the pitch we will look at possibly trying to strengthen.”

While it appears likely that it will be later in the January window before Town move on any potential targets, Weaver has however revealed that he already has one iron in the fire.

“We have a lad in with us on an extended trial period,” the Sulphurites chief explained.

“He’s been with us for a while now and has been performing really well in training.

“He’s a lad from Worksop who is just back from a spell in America. He’s one who can just add a little bit more depth to the squad

“All being well, I think he will probably be the first one we end up bringing in next month.”

Influential midfielder Pattison has been laid low by an illness over the festive period, while striker Angus only returned to training late last week having ruptured a ligament in his ankle back in September.

Winger Danny Grant (hamstring) should be back early in the New Year, and defenders Rory McArdle (calf) and Will Smith (knee) are both expected to be available again before the end of January.

But midfielders Matty Daly (knee) and Stephen Dooley (groin and foot), centre-half Kyle Ferguson (knee) and left-back Lewis Richards (ankle) remain on the long-term casualty list.

Goalkeeper Mark Oxley (hand) and forwards Jack Muldoon (groin) and Max Wright (ankle) were all fit enough to be named on Town’s substitutes’ bench for Boxing Day’s 3-2 win over Grimsby, with Muldoon and Wright both introduced in the second half.