SWINDON Town manager Richie Wellens has assured fans that there will at least two new signings before Friday’s deadline.

The Town boss also revealed that several fringe players may head out of the County Ground doors on loan, making it a predictably frantic few days at SN1.

Leicester City’s Admiral Muskwe became Wellens’ fifth January acquisition on Tuesday evening, but the Premier League Under 23s division top scorer was not signed in time to make his debut away at Colchester United.

And the Town boss bemoaned a lack of forward-thinking options off the bench as John McGreal’s men came from a goal down to run out 3-1 winners at the Colchester Community Stadium.

Wellens said: “There will definitely be a couple coming in and there might be a few going out because I need players to play, but I need some options off the bench.

“Maybe this was one game too far without a striker. We should have scored two or three on Tuesday, definitely.

“So maybe it was just a game too far for us going out there without an out-and-out striker in the team.

“We did great against Crewe and Port Vale, but if you keep playing every week without a proper striker, it’s going to catch up with you eventually.

“Not in terms of making the chances, because we made loads, but definitely in terms of taking them.”

Although Town did fall to a frustrating defeat in Essex against one of their promotion rivals, midweek results elsewhere meant the damage was significantly reduced on Town’s lead at the top.

Still two points above Exeter City in second, Wellens’ men are set to welcome their nearest title challengers to the County Ground on Saturday.

Despite excellent home form this term, The Town boss has warned his players not to become overconfident again and return to the kind of form that saw them dismiss Plymouth Argyle, Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale since the turn of the year.

Wellens said: “I told the players after (Tuesday) to show me a reaction now.

“My only worry with this group is that they can get overconfident and I think, for the last 20 minutes on Tuesday, they were overconfident.

“We didn’t pass the ball with a purpose, we took an extra touch when we should be putting the ball in behind.

“It brought us a lot of joy when we put the ball in behind for Kaiyne.

“The last 20 minutes just wasn’t good enough – but I have to say, aside from the Newport game, it was the only time we’ve been below par in 13 or 14 games.

“Hopefully we won’t do it again.”