Braintree Town manager Jamie Day is hoping to put the finishing touches to his squad following this week’s pre-season action against Southend United and Gillingham.

Day has had to spend the opening weeks of his time in charge of the Iron rebuilding the squad, but he has almost completed that task now and he is hoping to place the last pieces into his jigsaw in the wake of back-to-back games against the League One clubs at the Avanti Stadium.

Southend are due to visit on Saturday (kick-off 1pm) and then the Gills on Tuesday (kick-off 7.45pm) and Day expects to run his eye over the trialists still vying to play a part in his plans.

He has had players such as former Luton midfielder Isaac Galliford, Fleetwood Town midfielder Harvey Hodd and former Chelmsford City captain Mark Hughes on trial and feels he is getting closer to completing the squad of 18 that he wants to target.

Day said: “I have a lot of time for Isaac [Galliford] and Harvey [Hodd] and Hughesie [Mark Hughes] in the midfield.

“They have all been training with us now for two weeks and there are some good players in there who are technically very good.

“So I’m positive of the players that we’ve got and I think they are showing me what they are capable of doing.

“We have 15 signed on and I’m looking to have a squad of about 18.

“So for us now, unless someone comes out who has played 30 to 40 games in the league and we feel we need to take him, then I think we’re pretty much where we want to be with the boys on trial as well.

“I’m pleased with the 15 and pleased with the trialists as they have all worked hard and are good players.

“We won’t be able to take all of them as it will bulk the squad up to 20-odd and we can’t do that but there are three or four who have a good chance to be offered something.

“Probably by the end of this week.”