Mark Hughes has played down the likelihood of another free agent coming to Carlisle United’s rescue.
The head coach has not ruled out making another move for an unattached player after this week’s arrival of striker Matt Dennis.
But Hughes cast doubt on whether the solution to United’s problems was out there in the free agent market.
And he challenged those already at Brunton Park to come up with the answers.
Carlisle have room to add one more player to their squad after omitting midfielder Dylan McGeouch from their squad list after the January transfer window.
“We've still got one [space] left which gives us a little bit of headroom if we want to try and bring anybody else in,” said Hughes.
Asked if this was something he was keen to do, though, and the Blues boss said: “We'll see. It's difficult. Is there going to be the quality that we need or the right type of player that we need?
“We've got a lot of players in the club – it may be that somebody within the building will come to the fore and be the answer.”
Dylan McGeouch has been omitted from United's squad list - leaving one space they could potentially fill with another free agent signing (Image: Richard Parkes)
McGeouch could be re-registered for the rest of the campaign if United opt to make no further signings.
As things stand, though the Scot – currently out with a hamstring injury – cannot play any further part this season.
On the decision to leave McGeouch in particular off the squad list Carlisle have submitted to the EFL, Hughes said: “It's about his game time, how much of the season he will actually be available for and it's likely that he'll miss the vast majority of it.
“It's a difficult decision clearly but I think there's an understanding of the thinking and the reasoning behind it.”
Dennis, meanwhile, made his debut in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Newport County – making him the 49th player Carlisle have used in all competitions this season.
That is one more than the 48 fielded by United in their 2013/14 campaign, mostly under Graham Kavanagh.
That campaign’s record for the number of league players used, though, remains ahead of this season’s tally – with 47 used in the league in 2013/14, and 42 used now in this campaign’s 30 league games so far.
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