OWEN Coyle wants three players in the January window to ensure Wanderers are successful in their fight against the drop.

With Gary Cahill seemingly destined for Chelsea in a £7 million deal, Coyle’s first task would be to sign a defensive replacement – with US international Tim Ream heavily tipped to make the move from MLS side New York Red Bulls.

But the Whites boss will also be looking to rush two more new faces through the Reebok doors when the transfer window reopens to add options to a squad that has been seriously depleted by injury.

“We like to try and be ahead of things and get people in place, and again, time is all important,” he said.

“But we certainly want to add in January and get a bit of freshness to help the group we’ve got, because the injury list has impacted upon that.

“We need two or three in to move forward because, as much as I’ve said before about trying to change in terms of the transition we’re making to leave us in a great position next summer, we have to make sure we do it on the back of staying in the Premier League. That will be the focus in January. We need the necessary quality.”

Wanderers will be without Marcos Alonso for today’s clash with Newcastle United, with the young Spanish full-back becoming the latest in a long line of injuries to be picked up this term.

And Coyle admits it has been hard to come to terms with the sheer number of players missing at times this season.

“They are top, top players,” he said. “And when you miss your Stuart Holdens and your Chung-Yong Lees, they are very difficult for a club of our stature to replace.

“Manchester City and the others can do that. If they lose a £20million player then they can replace them with another. We don’t have that luxury but those two are very much in the bracket of being expensive players.”

On a brighter note, David Wheater is available after a four-match ban, and fellow defender Sam Ricketts is back on the comeback trail and is pencilled in for a place on the bench against Wolves on Saturday.