STANLEY boss John Coleman insists his transfer business is far from finished as he seeks up to four new faces for his squad.

The Reds got up and running in League One on Saturday with a 2-1 victory at Bristol Rovers and travel to League Two side Mansfield in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Coleman brought in defender Matty Platt from Blackburn Rovers and goalkeeper Connor Ripley from Middlesbrough on temporary deals in the closing stages of the August transfer window but is targeting reinforcements in attack and defence before the loan deadline at the end of the month.

"We are after two strikers and a couple of defenders," said Coleman who has previously spoken of his desire to carry fewer loan players in his squad but admits that, after a difficult summer window, he may need to bolster the ranks with temporary additions to ensure he has competition for places.

"I might end up taking six (on loan) and I don't want but it might end up being the case just through necessity.

"The transfer window for me this year was very difficult. It might be my own perception of it but I thought it would be easier going into League One and I thought we might be more of an attractive proposition.

"The Premier League clubs are sitting tight on their players which made it difficult and I think everyone has been jockeying for position. The league clubs know they can take place up to August 31 and it is having a knock on effect."

Coleman's latest acquisition, goalkeeper Ripley, made his debut in the weekend win and looks set to retain his place for the trip to the Stags.

And the Stanley chief was pleased with his new signing, but admitted it had been a difficult decision to pick Ripley over Jonny Maxted.

"He did well," the boss said of the debutant. "It was a hard decision and I had a little chat with Jonny. What I have always craved is two No.1s and that is why I waited. I had to wait a little bit longer, I could have taken 20-30 goalkeepers but I wanted the right one."

The Reds are set to be without Erico Sousa (thigh) tonight while Coleman could look to shuffle his pack and provide minutes to some of his players who have yet to feature this term.

But he insists a place in round two is top of his agenda.

"It is a cup that we will take seriously so we will be doing our best to win," he added.

"It is a difficult tie, they have started okay, they have got four points. They will be full of confidence, it is going to be a difficult game which we know and every time you go there it is a feisty game.

"It is probably the cup competition that for me produces the most surprises, if you look back over the last 10-15 years the amount of big teams who have been beaten by little teams.

"It is an opportunity to claim some scalps although the ironic thing is now we are a scalp."