ANDY King will reshuffle his defensive pack tomorrow (Saturday, November 11), confident he will find the recipe for his first clean sheet.

The new Town boss had hoped to bring in extra cover for the back five as he faces up to life without the suspended Alan Reeves.

But his plans were dashed yesterday after a busy afternoon on the phones.

The closest he got was when an un-named West Bromwich Albion player actually refused to sign for the club because he did not want to drop to a lower division.

That, and King's unwillingness to gamble on any unknown players, means a complete defensive switch around tomorrow.

King, is not disappointed, however, and says whatever system or squad he puts out, he is confident they will show the same qualities as in recent weeks.

He said: "I did try to bring in a new defender because I feel that we do need a bit of cover and extra competition in that area of the field.

"West Brom manager Gary Megson had agreed to let his player join us and believed it would do the lad some good, but he declined because he does not want to drop out of Division One.

"He is an experienced player and he could have done a job for us, but I am not disappointed. It is his loss as far as I am concerned, he has missed out on the opportunity of playing for Swindon Town. Maybe it gives me the chance of a return to action."

King will certainly not pull the boots back on, but without Reeves it does leave a puzzle as to who will feature in the back line of defence.

The manager is keen on a back five for the moment as it gives players like Keith O'Halloran the chance to push forward and sets Danny Invincible free up front. So he will need to find someone who can fill Reeves' shoes at sweeper.

Neither Gareth Hall or Gareth Davies are match fit and youngster James Williams still has to prove himself in the reserves.

Right-sided full back Mark Robinson could fill the void in the middle and Juan Cobian may get a rare chance out on the flanks. But King may also spring a surprise and play Bobby Howe at sweeper, a position he played in last season.

King will think over his plans thoroughly before sending the team out for battle at London Road.

Town have drawn two and won one of their last three matches with a scoring record of six goals.

The only minus on the sheet is the number of goals conceded due to sloppy defending.

"I want to see the whole team defend well as a unit on Saturday," he said. "I really hope we can get ourselves a clean sheet because we always look like scoring at the other end of the pitch.

"We have not lost in three matches and while it is not a fantastic run it is certainly something to build on. A win at Peterborough would be fantastic and if the lads produce the same commitment and desire then we should come away with three points."

There are no fresh injury worries for King to contend with and, apart from Reeves, it is expected to be the same team that drew with Wrexham.

"I have a rule that I will only take on players who I think will make a difference to the side," said King. "I must also know the player. I won't gamble on any recommendations. Not even if Alex Ferguson says he is a top player."