'Fans are as worried as I am about transfers'

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom says he shares the frustration of the fans about limited incomings so far in the January transfer window - but hopes they can strengthen before the deadline passes.

The Lilywhites have made one signing, bringing striker Milos Lukovic in on loan, but their squad has been depleted in recent weeks by departures, injuries and suspensions.

North End are without eight players they had available at the start of the month.

Daniel Iversen, Andrew Hughes and Brad Potts are injured, while Milutin Osmajic is serving a three-game suspension and Jordan Storey will miss the trip to Ipswich after his red card at Middlesbrough.

Stefan Thordarson was sold to Hannover 96, Will Keane went on loan to Reading and Harrison Armstrong returned to parent club Everton, though Heckingbottom hopes the 19-year-old will return for the remainder of the season.

"We'll wait and hopefully get him back," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He's not our player and it's totally down to Everton. I spoke with David [Moyes] again this morning, so I know the lay of the land, exactly where we sit and he knows our thoughts on it."

Heckingbottom said supporters are "as worried as I am" that their January business is still yet to be concluded.

"I'd rather have it [incomings] on 1 January, that's the aim and then you can be working with it," he said.

"I'm looking at the players we've lost in a time when we can do something about it. So my frustrations are always that. That will always be the same, but it's not an easy window to work in, to operate in."

Preston have suffered three straight league defeats and picked up just four wins from their past 15 Championship games (D6 L5) which has seen them slip from fourth to ninth, one point off the play-off places.

"Hopefully we welcome Andy [Hughes] back now, he's back in training, so that's one back," Heckingbottom added.

"If we can bring a couple of signings in, brilliant. If we can get Harrison back, then we'll be back to where we wanted to be."