Alan Devonshire will be looking for a loan player ahead of Braintree Town’s trip to Gateshead on Saturday, but he feels it’s unlikely that he’ll land his target before the weekend.

The Iron boss’ playing resources continue to be stretched thinly, with a fractured leg for striker Michael Bakare being the latest woe to befall the team.

A string of injuries has hit the squad hard in recent weeks, but their fit players have risen to the task with back-to-back draws against the Vanarama Conference Premier’s top two sides – FC Halifax Town and leaders Barnet – this week.

They now make the long trip to Gateshead on Saturday and Devonshire is looking to add depth to alleviate some of the burden on his stretched squad.

He said: “I’m trying to get someone in, but it’s probably not going to happen until next week.

“We’ll just have to regroup and see how they are on Thursday at training.”

Devonshire admits things are improving, though, with players likely to be returning in the next two weeks.

He added: “I’m hoping Sean Marks will be back for Saturday week (after a back problem) and the same for Remy (Clerima, after a hamstring injury).

“Just one more game and I’ll have more to work with and I’m also hoping Dan Sparkes will be back for the trip to Gateshead after his ankle injury.”

Striker Charlie Strutton is also upping the intensity of his training as he comes back from the broken leg he sustained last year, but it looks as if it Bakare will now be out for a while.

Devonshire said: “He was a passenger in a car at ten o’clock in the morning and was in a car crash.

“He’s been left with a hairline fracture of his leg and is now in plaster for four to six weeks.

“I feel sorry for the kid because it’s going to be about ten weeks before he’s back and I really have to try to get someone else in now.

“That’s what I’ll be working on.”

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