DARLINGTON require reinforcements for their injury-hit squad with manager Alun Armstrong aiming to bring in a right-back and a striker.

A theme of the season so far has been injuries, with Quakers unable to select their strongest side in any of their eight matches so far and it will be the same on Wednesday evening against Blyth Spartans.

Unless they make a sudden recovery, Terry Galbraith and Michael Liddle remain doubtful with both more likely to feature in Saturday’s match at Gloucester City.

Jamie Holmes and Luke Trotman are out for the foreseeable future, while David Atkinson and fellow former Blyth player Jordan Watson are continuing to play despite not being 100 per cent fit.

“We probably need one or two in all honesty, but we’ll see what happens,” said Armstrong, who left Blyth in May to become Darlington manager.

“Hopefully something will happen this week, whether we sign anyone for Wednesday I don’t know. I’ll make a few phone calls and see what we can do.

“It’s not panic stations. We’re not bringing someone in just for the sake of it, they’ve got to make us better.

“We need a right-back, I think everyone can see we’re desperate for a right-back because Atky is struggling with his ankle. He took a whack on it again and I had to get him off.

“Jordan is struggling with his hamstring, he has a tight glute like Tez.”

Atkinson was signed to play as a defensive midfielder, but as Trotman is unavailable the former Blyth man has reverted to the right-back role he played when at Carlisle United.

Armstrong added: “He is a right-back, but we’re missing a sitting midfielder in front of the back four to do that defensive job. Their player brought the ball down and he shouldn’t be allowed to do that.

“If we had a defensive midfielder in front he wouldn’t have. Osagi Bascome is decent on the ball but being defensive is not his game.

“The two full-backs are not attacking full-backs, they are defensive so we don’t get the flowing attacking that we normally have.”

Armstrong’s options are reduced by Bascome and Justin Donawa being called up for Bermuda, so they are not available this week.

Omar Holness is likely to be recalled against Blyth, with Joe Wheatley on the bench having made an appearance as a substitute in Saturday’s defeat at King’s Lynn Town.

“I was pleased to see him back on the pitch,” said Armstrong. “It’s taken a lot longer than I would’ve hoped, I thought he would’ve been back for the start of the season.

“I told him we needed half an hour on the pitch ready for Wednesday.”

Blyth replaced Armstrong with Lee Clark, the ex-Newcastle and Sunderland midfielder, who has a big task on his hands at Croft Park.

Most of Spartans’ squad from last season moved on, Armstrong signing six of them, and the replacements Clark has brought in have found it tough going as they are bottom of the table having lost six of their seven matches.

Quakers’ have lost twice in a row without scoring and are now 18th.

Armstrong added: “We’ve got players who are capable of playing no problem. I’ve still got belief in this squad.”