DARLINGTON are attempting to plug the gaps created by losing two players on Tuesday and hope to have made new signings before the weekend.

Adam Bartlett and Mark Beck have moved on, to York City and Harrogate Town respectively, generating income which will partly be used to make additions if Quakers can conclude negotiations successfully with their targets.

Although naturally disappointed to have lost Bartlett and Beck, manager Tommy Wright has moved quickly in an attempt to secure replacements.

He is speaking to several targets across a range of playing positions, and only one is currently with a club in the North-East.

“We could have players in for the weekend which would be a massive boost, but we’re in competition with other clubs, so we need to be quick,” said Wright.

“The club have been great with me. David Johnston [chief executive] said from day one he would support me in anything I wanted to do in how I shape the squad and he has stuck to his word.

“We’ve got offers tabled for players and we’ll see what develops from that."

A goalkeeper is among the players Wright is speaking to, lined up to replace Bartlett, who had previously turned down the opportunity to sign for York before performing a u-turn on Monday when he told Quakers he wished to leave.

“I had a good chat with Barts and his reasons are very genuine,” said Wright. “I think I’m a good judge of character, he had his reasons, and I think the right thing to do was to allow the player to move on.”

A striker is also among the players Wright hopes to bring in before Saturday’s trip to Kidderminster Harriers.

Beck, scorer of 18 goals last season, had a clause in his contract which Harrogate activated by meeting his transfer valuation, bringing to a close uncertainty about the player who had held talks with York last month.

Wright added: “Bartlett’s move came out of the blue on Monday, and the clause in Beck’s contract was always going to be a pain.

“I said to him when the bid came in, ‘go and talk to them but if the move doesn’t happen I want the clause out of your contract’.

“I wanted to move on from the situation. I didn’t want to be in a situation where at any time a club could come in and activate the clause to speak to him. It was unsettling for me, the players and the football club.

“He understood that, but the deal was right for him.”

Whether Wright is able to make a transfer breakthrough or not, he has already been given some good news this week after being told Gary Brown could make his comeback this weekend.

The defender has not played since August 28 due to the effects of concussion, but will play on Saturday if comes through training unscathed this evening.

Wright explained: “He’s been signed off by the doctor so is fit and available as far as his doctor is concerned. That’s a massive boost.

“He’s going to do a bit of heading on Thursday and see what reaction he has to that.

“The doctor seems to think that any pain he does suffer isn’t concussion-based, and it would be an issue with his neck. Browny is delighted with that news, so he is set to return on Saturday.”

Wright may also be able to select Dom Collins, despite the centre-back limping off with a foot injury that has caused him to be substituted in Darlington’s past two matches.

“It’s a long-standing injury, so it depends on how he manages it, so he might be fit for Saturday,” added the manager.

“He’ll probably need an injection. He has managed the injury for a year, and he got a kick on it on Saturday. It’s about his pain threshold, if he can handle it then he’ll play.”