SWINDON Town are lacking strength in depth in defence with less than three weeks remaining until the start of their League Two campaign, admits manager Phil Brown.

Brown fielded a youthful Swindon squad against non-league Chippenham Town at Hardenhuish Park last night, a game which ended in a two-goal defeat.

While a stronger XI are expected to start against Portuguese club Benfica at St George’s Park this morning (11.30am), Brown admits he is lacking strength in depth in his back four and is looking to add to his pack before the club’s first league game against Macclesfield on Saturday, August 4.

He said: “I would like to think by time the season starts we’ll have 22 players to choose from – two in each position.

“In the ideal world all managers will ask for that and three others to make a 25-man squad.

“But I know what we’ve got an I know what we can afford to have. If we can get another two or three in, I’ll be delighted.

“But we are short of defensive quality, we’ve got enough going forward in the first team. But we’ll need strength in depth.”

It’s possible that at least one player new to the Town squad could feature in this morning’s friendly in Staffordshire, which has been closed off to the media and instead being played behind closed doors.

New recruits Elijah Adebayo and Martin Smith are expected to start for Town as Brown looks to get 90 minutes into the legs of his first team.

The Swindon boss has made fitness a priority during Town’s pre-season campaign to date, but he’s also highlighted the importance of dead ball situations to his squad.

He said: “I see Scott Twine practising putting the ball in the top corner after every training session, David Beckham made a career out of doing that.

“He made his name on dead balls. And that’s a niche market in the game of football.

“Set pieces are so important, and we witnessed that in the World Cup. Dead ball situations will be important for us next year.”