WITH Sam Collins missing for at least the next two games, Mick Wadsworth is today likely to add a centre-half to his Hartlepool United ranks today.

The captain was injured in the home win over Oldham on New Year's Day and hoped to be back in action in a week.

But his medial knee ligament injury has not healed instantly and the initial diagnosis of a month on the sidelines is looking more likely.

"Sam's not ready for Saturday or Tuesday, so it's next Saturday at Peterborough is what we are realistically looking at now,'' said Wadsworth.

"We will probably take a player on loan, I'm working on it now and don't want to say too much now until it's completed.''

The teenage defender Wadsworth is chasing is from a Championship club, and is likely to partner Peter Hartley in the middle of the back four on Saturday, when Pools take on Dagenham and Redbridge at Victoria Park.

That would free Gary Liddle to move back into midfield after reverting to central defence for last weekend's FA Cup loss at Watford.

"I think it's his better position, anyone can see that so I would think he has a good chance of coming back in there at the weekend,'' said Wadsworth.

"We've done well to get to the third round of the FA Cup, but it was a tough one, not a fantastic draw for us as it was never going to be a financial bonanza was it?

"For an hour we did well, got one goal, could have had a second, but after the first goal they got back they really put the pressure on us and the result wasn't a true reflection in terms of stats and balance - in a cup game at 2-1 down, you have to push on for a leveller and leave the back door open.

"It got in the way of our league programme in a sense, but when you are in the cup you want to stay there not it's all about Dagenham and the league games to come.''