Dumbarton manager Jim Duffy admits that signing a goalkeeper is a priority, as the Sons finally return to training tonight (Tuesday).
Updated Scottish Government guidance issued last week will allow Duffy’s side to come together for a full training session for the first time in almost six months.
However with goalkeepers Conor Brennan and Jordan Pettigrew having moved on to pastures new, finding a new stopper is top of the gaffer’s list.
He told the Lennox Herald: “It will be good for everyone to get back out. It’s been a long, long time coming – going between March and the end of August is a fair old time to be away from it.
“We just had to accept the situation we were in, grit our teeth and get on with it. It was very much a case of waiting it out, but from today the players will be in Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until the start of the season.
“The first thing we now need is a goalkeeper, or two to be precise. I’ve spoken to people and clubs obviously in regards to deals and loan deals but we don’t want to just dive in.
“There’s absolutely no rush for us at this stage, although getting back in training obviously gives me the opportunity to look at players over the coming weeks.”
The Sons boss revealed that four pre-season games are pencilled in and with 10 members of last season’s squad signed up, including his first-choice back four and club captain Stuart Carswell, he hopes that continuity will be the key when the shortened season gets underway in October.
He continued: “It’s been important for us to get a core signed up. That’s especially vital with the season starting later.
“We’ve got an incredibly tough group in the Betfred Cup, as always seems to be the case, but last year we put together almost a whole team in little over a fortnight. Having the nucleus of a team signed up at this point in time should help us.
“That’s not to say that we’ll be performing well and winning games straight away but it should certainly help.
“The back four that finished last season all signing up is a boost. They all know each other well and there were positive signs of a partnership.
“The guys know that there is a lot of work to improve as a unit but keeping them together is something that is very important.
“All the players had offers from other clubs and I’m delighted that so many have chosen to sign up. The back four is always especially important though and you can try and work around that to build a team.”
With striker Denny Johnstone so far the only new face, Duffy said he doesn’t expect to see an influx of signings with uncertainty around whether fans will be allowed in forcing him to work with a tight budget.
He added: “We’ll naturally have to run with a tighter squad, certainly to start with. I can’t see us adding more than five bodies to what we have at the moment - and that will obviously include two keepers.
“That’s certainly where we’ll be for the start of the season when the club doesn’t know if it will have an income stream from supporters.”
