Bassett's need to spend hints at Izzet exit
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Your support makes all the difference.Dave Bassett, the New Leicester City manager has pledged to freshen up his squad as he seeks to lift the club off the bottom of the Premiership.
However the experienced Bassett knows he has few funds available to improve a side that scored only seven goals in 12 games this season, leading to speculation that the unhappy midfielder Muzzy Izzet could be sold.
Bassett, who replaced Peter Taylor at the beginning of the month, said: "There are one or two things in the melting pot. One has fallen through but hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll be able to do something.
"I want to get a couple in on loan – and it looks possible. We need to freshen the squad up. But if I bring someone in, I've got to find a player I think is going to improve the squad and I've got to be confident in that."
His initial priority is believed to be a striker to relieve the pressure on the much-maligned Ade Akinbiyi. A loan deal for Rangers' Billy Dodds has been mentioned, although Bassett has played down reports that he will try and sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Chris Bart-Williams, who is out-of-contract at the end of the season.
"There is no point in just bringing in a name player in and then he doesn't do particularly well," Bassett added. "I've got to get someone who fits the bill of what we want. It has to be the right player. That's not always easy but we are working on it – and we will improve the squad."
Rangers' American midfielder Claudio Reyna will continue to play for the club despite suffering from a recurring groin injury.
The US national captain was substituted at half-time in Sunday's 2-0 win over St Johnstone after the injury flared up again. It was the first time Reyna had started three games in a row this season.
Reyna has missed 10 of Rangers' 18 games since first suffering the injury on 22 August, but manager Dick Advocaat said the midfielder was expected to play Saturday against Livingston.
"Reyna is still feeling some pain in his groin," Advocaat said. "He has seen specialists all over the world but the problem is not going away. At the moment he is playing through it, but hopefully we can find a solution because it is not ideal for him."
Reyna has established himself as a key player at Rangers since arriving two years ago, forming a central midfield partnership with captain Barry Ferguson. He is expected to travel to Russia with the club for the second leg of their Uefa Cup tie against Dynamo Moscow on 1 November.
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