DAVE Challinor could have a new Hartlepool United signing in by the weekend.

The Pools boss hopes to land a new striker. The club needs international clearance for the player in question.

Pools are without Luke James for the rest of the season through injury and Gime Toure, who is serving a three-game suspension after being caught on camera hitting out at an Oxford player last weekend.

Pools have today extended the loan of midfielder Mark Shelton until the end of the season.

Speaking at training this morning, the Pools boss said: “We are making progress, without nailing anyone down or signing. Potentially there’s something happening today, but there’s international clearance involved. Can we get a body in short-term on loan? But we have players missing and that presents an opportunity for others.

“I’m more than happy to give them a chance and then it makes them in control of the shirt.

“Hopefully we get a couple in. We have loans ourselves in and out who are coming to an end. I hope by the end of January we are more settled. There’s no transfer window, but we need a squad deep enough and good enough to see us through.’’

Pools will also be without centre-halves Michael Raynes and Fraser Kerr for Saturday’s trip to Dover, with fears Raynes will be missing for a large chunk of the season.

The Pools boss, who rejected any suggestions he was in the market for AFC Fylde striker Danny Rowe after it was announced he was set to leave Challinor’s former club, added: “I don’t see either being involved this weekend. Fraser has a back problem and we need to see how it settles. It’s not, we don’t think, long-term problem it was just him turning direction quickly and he jarred something.

“Raynesy had a scan yesterday and it looks like a long-term one, but we wait on the results.’’