Chris Hughton is refusing to let the thought of further January departures ruin Birmingham City's current good run of form.
The Championship Manager of the Month for October has worked miracles so far this season despite having to completely re-build the team after relegation from the Premier League in May.
It is still unclear whether the club will have to sell any more of their key performers when the transfer window opens up again in the New Year but Hughton insists all he can do is prepare for any possible outcome.
“The best way to look at anything that might happen is to try and be prepared in advance,” he said.
“At this moment we are still a few months away from January and nobody knows what might happen in that period of time.
“Touch wood, we won’t have any injuries but we might have a few at the same time.
“You have to try and plan for these things and work around it the best way you can.
“When I took over the job my remit was to steady everything and do the best job I could.
“We want to get the club back where it belongs in the Premier League but there are a number of clubs that will have something to say about that.
“My aim is to make sure we are competitive and maintain what we have started.
“We don’t know what it will be like after the New Year.
“All we can do is make sure is that we are competing up there and going into the second half of the season in a good position.”
Hughton knew he had a mammoth task on his hands when he arrived in the summer and that got no easier when he lost almost the entire team that won the Carling Cup last year.
A number of high-profile players departed as Blues looked to balance the books after suffering relegation from the top flight.
Only a small amount of money was made available for transfers as Hughton and his scouting network had to scour the globe for bargain buys.
The long-term future of the club has remained the priority with owner and president Carson Yeung still facing charges for money-laundering in Hong Kong.
But despite the uncertainty surrounding St Andrew’s, the ex-Newcastle boss has worked wonders and is still looking at ways he can improve his in-form side.
“We are keeping tabs on players, that’s an on-going process,” he added. “You have to look at the younger players in the lower divisions, at those who are doing well and those who are on contracts which are coming to an end.”
