Caley Thistle manager John Hughes is concerned about his club’s sluggish transfer activity with just 14 fit players in place for the Europa League.
The Inverness manager will try to change club strategy for future transfer windows after arriving for the first day’s pre-season training with just one new player, Nat Wedderburn, signed.
Jordan Roberts, a 21-year-old midfielder released by Aldershot, is poised to become Hughes’ second summer signing.
The former Arsenal and Peterborough youth, currently training with the club, has agreed terms and could finalise the deal today.
Roberts would join Wedderburn, a 23-year-old former Stoke City and Northampton Town midfielder, in committing to the Scottish Cup winners. But Hughes, having lost leading performers in Graeme Shinnie, Marley Watkins, Nick Ross and Eddie Ofere, is frustrated at the slow pace of recruitment.
The Highlanders have senior players including Richie Foran, Dean Brill and David Raven recovering from injury. With just a few weeks until Romanian side Astra Giurgiu visit Inverness in the second qualifying round, Hughes is concerned and said: “We’re short on numbers. That’s my only disappointment.
“Shinnie has moved on, Marley’s moved on, Nick Ross has moved on. David Raven is still nursing a calf problem. It means we’ve only got 14. We need to add another good four or five, that’s for sure, definitely in time for the European tie.
“There have been sticking points. It is something I reckon we have to look at if we want to keep moving the club on. We have to look at how we recruit. Recruitment is massive, probably the number one aspect of a football club. We’ll have a look at how we get players in.”
Hughes is expected to secure further signings before the end of next week.
The former Celtic and Hibs defender is reluctant to rely on youth for the Europa League.
Asked if young players such as Canada under-20 international attacker Callum Ferguson and Ally Sutherland could step in, Hughes said: “They’re not ready, they’re just in their first year as professionals and on a learning curve.
“It will take them two or three months to hold their own on the training pitch with the first team.”