ANDY KING has set himself a seven-day target to finalise his ideal starting line-up for the big kick-off against Barnsley.
Town's senior players head for the Isle of Wight tomorrow for their first taste of competitive action in almost three months with the manager anxious to sort out the 'probables' from the 'possibles'.
He said: "By the time we play Wimbledon next Saturday I would hope to have a much clearer picture, in terms of players already here and those I am looking to bring in.
"I am not saying the eleven I want will play against Wimbledon but I would hope to have a squad of 16 or 17 sorted out.
"I would then hope that the starting eleven for the Barnsley game will play at least part of the Sporting Gijon game on Sunday, August 4."
Before the players reported back for pre-season training, King had hoped that all his signings would be in place.
That now looks unlikely with only Sam Parkin and Stefani Miglioranzi as the newcomers among the ranks for the trip to Newport tomorrow.
He said: "I would like to have all the pieces in place as quickly as possible but that is not the same as rushing into a situation and regretting it later.
"There are four players targeted on a list of seven and if I manage to land all of them I'll be very happy."
King is not about to start panicking about the situation. He is confident further additions will be forthcoming but he is happy enough with the competition that already exists for places in certain departments.
He said: "You have Alan Reeves competing with the likes of Adam Willis, Matty Heywood and Neil Ruddock.
"David Duke and Sol Davis will be looking to prove something, and Alan Young will be snapping at the heels of Eric Sabin and Danny Invincible.
"That's the sort of situation you want at a football club looking to make progress."
Ticket prices for the game against Newport sle of Wight at St George's Park are as follows: £5 (adults) and £3 (juniors and senior citizens). The Newport club can be contacted on 01983 525027.
The club are offering fans the chance to appear on an official team picture at the pre-season photo-call later this month.
The winner will be chosen through an auction in association with QXL.com. Fans should log on to the site for further details. The auction will end in a week's time.
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