PREVIEW: New recruits on both sides as Chesterfield prepare for Oldham battle
David Faupala, Liam Grimshaw, Reece Brown and Osman Kakay all joined the Spireites on loan in what turned out to be a busy last day of the January transfer window.
The quartet joined on loan until the end of the season and offer competition in defence, midfield and attack as Chesterfield look to claw out of the bottom four.
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Hide AdThe Spireites were not finished there, however, announcing the signing of defender Sadiq El Fitouri following his release from Manchester United on Thursday.
Caldwell, appointed on January 17, claimed a point in his first game in charge against AFC Wimbledon and will be looking to add to that against a struggling Latics side.
The Spireites were without a game last weekend but trained on the Saturday as Caldwell used the blank weekend to continue to get his ideas across to his charges.
And, following the arrival of four fresh faces, he now has the dilemma of who gets the nod for a crucial match towards the foot of the League One table.
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Hide AdOpponents Oldham are just a point and a place behind Chesterfield in the standings and have a relatively new manager themselves after the club re-appointed John Sheridan on January 12.
Former Spireites boss Sheridan was sacked by Notts County just ten days previously. Sheridan had only left Oldham in the summer to take up the post at Meadow Lane.
He made a winning start to his third spell with the Latics, beating Gillingham 1-0, to end the team’s winless run that stretched all the way back to October 18.
Since replacing Stephen Robinson at the helm Sheridan has also engineered a 2-0 win over Peterborough United. Two defeats have also come to Shrewsbury Town and Bradford City.
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Hide AdWhile their defence has been tight, conceding 30 so far this season, his biggest problem is solving how to get goals in to the team. Oldham are the division’s lowest scorers, having found the net just 16 times in total.
Their cause won’t have been helped after top scorer Billy Mckay was recalled by parent club Wigan Athletic on Tuesday. Mckay, who had four for the Latics, then went on loan to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Oldham have brought in experienced centre-back Anthony Gerrard, full-back Rob Hunt and forwards Michael Ngoo and Aaron Amadi-Holloway, as well as midfielder Aiden O’Neill and wingers Chris Taylor and ex-Spireite Tope Obadeyi.