THREE potential loan signings will train with Barrow AFC this week as Paul Cox takes steps to strengthen his squad.

The Bluebirds boss has repeatedly spoken of the need to add more depth to his playing ranks – having come into the National League campaign with just 19 men available to him.

With Elliot Newby seen as a future prospect, Andy Coughlin a back-up goalkeeper to Joel Dixon – who made his 50th appearance for the club last week – and David Mellor battling to regain full fitness, that has left Cox with just 15 outfield players for his opening three encounters.

Injuries to Danny Livesey (knee), Shaun Beeley (groin) and Paul Turnbull (ankle) could reduce that to as few as 12 this evening when Chester come to Holker Street, hence the move to bring in loan players.

Two centre-halves and a central midfielder will join Barrow at their Hopwood Hall training base during the week, with one having come from a Scottish Premier League team and one from an English Championship side.

Deals are seen as “unlikely” before tonight’s game, but should any of the three impress sufficiently, they could be in place for Saturday’s trip to Dover Athletic.

“My talks with the chairman have been very positive, but we both agree that to go out and panic sign now is not good business,” Cox said.

“Don’t get me wrong, if there was a loan player available, something could happen.

“We’re looking at one or two people in training with a view of prospective loans, but it is going to be a scenario where the players who have got to come in – unless we are really at panic stations – have to really improve us and not just be short-term ins and outs. We want them to be good players who are going to make the squad stronger.

“We will have three players with us this week at training and we will see how they go.”

Cox is also keeping an eye on free agents still trying to earn Football League deals, in case any become available in the near future.

He is resolute in his determination only to sign players who add to the squad quality, and said: “I do believe, once again, that the strength of the squad is key. Myself and the staff are working extremely hard to bring bodies in. It’s a strange part of the season now and I think a lot of people, players who are free agents at the minute and who are holding out for decisions from Football League clubs, might become available. We will wait and see on that.

“I’m not going to bring people in if they’re not better than what we’ve got.

“It’s going to be a long season and players have got to want to come to us for the right reasons, we’ve got to want them for the right reasons. What I mean by that, is that we have to be looking medium to long-term, and we’ve really go to be looking at people who are going to come in and suit us.

“I’m not going to waste the chairman’s money willy-nilly on bringing people in as stop-gaps and having the same situation as I think occurred last year, where people came in on reputations and were not playing. There is a lot of thought going into it, albeit, you’ve got to get results with a very small squad in the meantime.”