OWEN Coyle admits he could be forced to make a late foray into the transfer market after striker Ivan Klasnic was ruled out for up to a month.

The Croatia international broke down in training on Friday after an ankle injury that had forced him from the field against Burnley in midweek flared up once more.

He is likely to now miss league games against Fulham, Manchester City and Wigan, and the FA Cup fifth round tie at home to either Spurs or Leeds United.

And that means Wanderers are now on the lookout to land a striker, if the right man becomes available before tonight’s midnight deadline.

“Are we finished doing business? Who knows? If someone becomes available by Monday night, I’ll try my best to bring him to the football club,” said Coyle after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Liverpool.

The player most likely to leave the Reebok today is Danny Shittu, whose Nigeria team are now on the way back from the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, having finished fourth.

Newcastle United and several continental clubs — including Galatasaray – have been mentioned as possible suitors of the big centre-half, although no firm offers have been made.

Coyle was left bemoaning refereeing decisions that did not fall his way at Anfield, as a goal from Dirk Kuyt and an unfortunate own goal by Kevin Davies ensured a seventh straight defeat on the red half of Merseyside.

“I don’t want to start looking for excuses,” he said. “We did really well in the first half but I felt we could have used the ball better in the second half.

“It’s not the reason we lost the game — but we certainly didn’t get the breaks, that’s for sure.

“I felt there was a foul in the build-up to the second goal and then after that, every bounce and deflection seems to go against you.”

But Coyle refused to be despondent, despite his side slipping to 16th in the Premier League table.

“There is genuine disappointment because I think we could have had points at different times from both games,” he said.

“But I take the positives from them. Ultimately, the games against Liverpool and Arsenal won’t be the ones we have to win in order to stay up. We can get those extra points from them, but we have to beat the teams in and around us.”

Coyle was also disappointed not to have given Jack Wilshere a debut, after securing the Arsenal youngster on loan for the rest of the season late on Friday afternoon.

“I was hoping to get Wilshere on in the second half and get him some game time because he hasn’t seen a lot of action over the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“After the second goal, though, I had to throw another forward on to try and get ourselves back in the game.”