Former Notts County coach Mark Crossley admits Chesterfield may have to turn to their young players to arrest their alarming slump in form.
Having been touted as promotion candidates in the summer, the Spireites are currently four points adrift of safety at the foot of the National League table.
Former Notts boss John Sheridan is under huge pressure as a result of the club's position and will look for a temporary reprieve when they face the Magpies in the FA Trophy on Saturday.
Crossley, who left Meadow Lane in the summer to be reunited with Sheridan again, admits the vibrancy of the young players may be what is needed to turnaround their situation.
"We might have to start throwing some of the kids in, young (Charlie) Wakefield and people like that," Crossley told the Derbyshire Times.
“You don’t like to put too much pressure on young lads when you are struggling in the league but it might have to be the case.
“We need a lift so we might need those lads to come in and show us what they can do and hopefully give us that lift that we need.”
Defeat to Yeovil on Tuesday meant Chesterfield have lost their last four games at home and Crossley says defensively they have to improve and fast.
“It has been the story of the season,” he said. “We keep repeating ourselves.
“The goals we are giving away are amateur. If we keep making silly mistakes then we have got no chance.
“Defensive errors are absolutely killing us. Against Yeovil we stuck with the same system and team from Saturday hoping that we could take that forward but the goals we are conceding are horrendous.”
