Richo's transfer blow

Richardson now has only Mike Whitlow of his experienced centre backs to choose from ahead of the big game, with the Caretaker manager himself still out due to a knee injury, and Mike Edwards a long-term absentee with a cruciate problem.

Frenchman Julian Baudet became the latest absentee as he serves his one-match suspension due to five bookings.

Richo: Transfer deal scuppered

But Richardson - who has still to bring in even a short-term signing during his two month tenure at Meadow Lane - has admitted that he thought he had a loan move in the bag, until the player himself decided against coming to Notts.

"I tried to bring somebody in yesterday (Thursday) to play at the back, but the player feels that he will be getting a chance soon at the club he is at," Richo told the official site.

"He tells me he is fourth choice centre half at the club but the three lads ahead of him are all on four bookings so he feels he will get the chance he has been waiting for so he has decided not to come.

"It is very disappointing because the Manager of the side we wanted him from cleared it with me on Tuesday and said it would be sorted on Thursday because that was then their Chairman was back from his Christmas break so we couldn't do anything until then," continued the 34-year-old.

"Their manager then rang me back yesterday afternoon and said he had spoken to the player who felt he deserved a chance and that the player felt he would get that chance over the next two weeks.

"That deal is now dead and has killed off any chance of getting anyone in for Saturday."

Richardson is learning football management the hard way, with the scuppering of the deal taking it now to SEVEN failed transfer targets for the County veteran. The current target was un-named, but a rumour doing the rounds is that it was actually F*rest defender Chris Doig.

In Baudet's absence, Richardson now has to choose between teenagers Kelvin Wilson or Emmet Friars to play alongside Whitlow, or he may choose to put the versatile David Pipe at the heart of the defence- should he recover from an ankle injury.

Full team news still to come here on NCM.