Jimmy Bell says at least one striker is at the top of their list before the January transfer window closes a week on Friday.
The Reds had four front men at the start of the campaign but Billy Kee hasn’t played due to his ongoing health issues while Swansea loan frontman Courtney Baker-Richardson has been limited to four appearances for the Reds due to injuries.
Colby Bishop is now out for at least a month as, having just returned from a back injury, he has injured his hamstring in training and has had a scan this week to find the extent of his injury.
Wilson Carvalho is also out for two weeks with an ankle injury.
It leaves the Reds with Offrande Zanzala, Dion Charles and Preston loan striker Connor Simpson as the forward options.
“We are a little bit short up front and we need to bring in one, or maybe two, players before the window shuts and they have to be strikers,” said assistant manager Bell.
“Colby has had a scan on his hamstring and could be out for four-six weeks which is a blow.
“Dion and Ozzy have the shirts at the moment and they have got to embrace it and take it on and say to us, no matter who you sign, you are not going to take the shirt off us.
“We have made enquiries about a few strikers who are on the fringes of their squads but most teams want to wait and see what happens towards the end of the transfer window.
“It is hard with our pay structure and budget as the players we are going after, the money blows us out of the water.
“Two or three players in League Two who we have gone for are out of our pay bracket.
“We would love players with a higher pedigree who can score goals but they also cost a lot of money and to get those players is very difficult.
“Non-league players are a bit of a gamble but they still cost money, players are on quite a bit of money at the top end of the National League.
“We are after young, hunger players and we are working hard to bring a couple of strikers in but we are not sure who yet.”