Dave Challinor's Stockport County tweaks heighten need for urgent transfer action | OneFootball

Stockport County are likely to still have important work to do in the January transfer window

It hasn’t been an especially busy January transfer window for Stockport County, but there is still one important squad gap that needs filling.

Loan winger Micah Hamilton and young Icelandic striker Benony Breki Andresson stand as the only new incomings at Edgeley Park so far.

However, with manager Dave Challinor currently favouring his three-at-the-back system, the need for fresh faces in the defensive unit is stark.

Currently, the Hatters have just one natural centre-back available for selection.

January has left Stockport sparse in defence

The month got off to a bad start in terms of defensive options when it was revealed at the start of January that Fraser Horsfall — the club’s most senior centre-back — was to face around eight weeks on the sidelines.

That situation then got worse when it was announced that centre-back Sam Hughes was to join Peterborough United on loan until the end of the season.

Hughes only signed a three-year deal with the club in the summer, but Challinor later revealed there is a personal element to the reason for his departure, along with needing more game time.

Nevertheless, it means that Ethan Pye stands as the only out-and-out fit centre-back in the squad.

The problem is highlighted further by Challinor’s set-up

What makes the situation even starker is the fact that the Hatters boss has reverted to playing three at the back in recent times, requiring three central defenders.

With Horsfall’s absence, it has meant that Kyle Knoyle and Callum Connolly have had to do a job in the backline alongside Pye.

This isn’t a new assignment for Knoyle, and Connolly has performed extremely well in the role, but a further injury to any of the trio would be a real struggle.

Challinor’s selecting three players to play in central defence is perhaps in itself a clue that he feels short in this area, and wants more bodies in that zone to offer greater protection.

Challinor and County are already aware of the issue

Speaking in a match preview with club media a couple of weeks ago, Challinor said: “[Centre-back] is a position that we thought we can add a body, for certain.”

There is no doubt, therefore, that the club will have been looking into options throughout the window, but as yet, there is still no sign of a new defender.

The end of the window is drawing near, meaning time is running out to conclude any business. If the window closes without a new centre-back arriving at Edgeley Park, the Hatters are gambling a great deal on the fitness of their current players.

The picture will, of course, look brighter when Horsfall is back playing, but it shows how close County are to a real injury crisis now with just one absentee — it’d be rare that they get to the end of the season without any others.

County must therefore act fast to resolve this issue. They’re going well in League One and are strong contenders for a play-off place, but not signing a new defender could leave them exposed, with a couple of injuries having the potential to derail the Hatters’ entire season.