SWINDON Town manager Phil Brown has hinted further additions to his squad may be possible before the start of the new season this weekend after bolstering his defensive ranks yesterday.

Town completed the signing of centre-back Sid Nelson on a six-month loan from Championship side Millwall, with the 22-year-old in contention to make his debut in Saturday’s League Two opener at home to Macclesfield Town.

Brown remains on the lookout for further fresh faces and suggested another deal could yet be struck before the arrival of the Silkmen to the Energy Check County Ground tomorrow.

“At the moment, we’re lacking at the number nine and number five roles. Hopefully that will be alleviated in time for Saturday,” said Brown.

“Everyone has been playing that pre-season game of cards, and it’s been boring to tell the truth.

“I’m sitting at the table and have my hand in my pocket, but at the same time the analogy of a game of cards is that everybody is now looking at each other’s hands.

“You can see what’s on the table and what’s available.”

Nelson will spend the first of the 2018-19 season at SN1, with his arrival a boost for Brown, who has been short of options at the back.

Both Matt Preston and Ryan McGivern departed the club over the summer after the duo turned down the offer of a new contract, while Rollin Menayese returned to Bristol Rovers after the end of his loan spell.

Club captain Olly Lancashire and Dion Conroy have returned to action during pre-season after ending the 2017-18 campaign on the sidelines through injury, but fellow central defender Chris Robertson has suffered a stress fracture in his ankle and will be out for six to eight weeks.

That had left Academy graduate Joe Romanski as the only other fit centre back in in the Town first-team squad, so Nelson’s arrival is much needed.

Nelson becomes Town’s ninth signing of a very busy off-season following the arrivals of Jermaine McGlashan, Steven Alzate, Luke McCormick, Martin Smith, Elijah Adebayo, Jak McCourt, Toumani Diagouraga and Michael Doughty.