Town boss Paul Lambert says he’d like to add to his squad in January with one or two potentially moving on to make way for them.
"We’d like to do it, to give them a hand, I think that’s important,” he said when asked about the potential for January additions. "The big thing for us is to try to get the bigger ones back fit. I think that’s the big thing for us.
"But yes, I’d like to give them a helping hand and if one or two of the guys go just for their own careers as well, it’s important. If we can bring somebody in, it’ll be beneficial.”
Football’s pandemic-related financial crisis has led to a large pool of players still without clubs and available outside the transfer window but Lambert is less keen on this market.
"I think there are two ways to look at it,” he reflected. "If you’re a free agent at this time of the season, then you have to ask ‘Why are you a free agent at this time of the season?’ What’s gone wrong? Is it attitude? Is it fitness? Is it no desire?
"I don’t want to bring anybody here that’s not got the desire or just wants to benefit themselves, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do for the club.
"It needs somebody that wants to play and wants the club to do well, like a Stephen Ward. People like that who have an unbelievable attitude to the game, a great enthusiasm for the game, that’s the type of attitude you need.
"I saw a list with some of the transfers on it and you think that they’re there for a reason. Whether that’s attitude or anything, I don’t know, but I’m not sure it’s a healthy road to go down.”
He believes it’s better to give youngsters such as Armando Dobra, Liam Gibbs and Elkan Baggott games.
"I think so, that’s the way I view it,” he said. "We have to look at the kids and the future going along the way until something dramatic happens. I don’t want to stop the kids from getting the chance of getting the opportunity because I think that’s wrong.
"As I said, I always go back to my own career with that, I needed somebody to throw me in when I was young and those kids need me to throw them in, which I’m happy to do.”
He says the young players coming into the first team need to grow up quickly: "Yes, they’re off the Farley’s Rusks and the hot milk! They’re getting there, they’re on the solid food, that’s a good thing.
"Being young sometimes, you can hide behind the experienced players and they can make an excuse for you. I’m a great believer that if you throw them in the water, they have to swim.
"And that’s what they’re doing, they’re swimming. I think that’s the great thing about them. They know they’ll get a chance under me if they do well, they’ve seen it.
"As long as you never become too big-headed, I think that's the important thing, we try and keep their feet on the ground.
"If they do that, they’ve got a chance, but they need a little bit of time to progress but they’re doing well.”
Meanwhile, Lambert played down summer reports that he was interested in signing Peterborough striker Jonson Clarke-Harris prior to his move from Bristol Rovers in the summer.
"If I had some of your wages I might have been able to buy him!" he joked. "Unless there was going to be money from somewhere, we can’t do it, we can’t do it.
"The lad’s a handful and he’s done well for them, but we couldn’t go and buy anyone.”