The Deepdale boss allowed the deadline for emergency loans to pass without doing any business in or out.

And even though North End's resources in the centre of defence could be described as temporarily stretched following the exit of Wayne Brown on Tuesday, Irvine is content to stick with what he has got until the transfer window proper reopens on January 1.

"Had we been in the situation we were in a couple of months ago I may have done something," he said as the market shut down at 5pm.

"But we are getting our players back, the majority are fit now, we have competition for places again and we are playing well.

"There isn't an emergency situation, so I don't think it is necessary to bring anyone else in.

"We are still a bit vulnerable at the back if we suddenly pick up a couple of injuries. But we can get through – at least I hope we can.

"I didn't think it would be right to go asking the chairman for more money at this stage.

"But who knows? I might need to do that in the future.

"This club has to be run in a very careful and prudent manner. It has been for years and it needs to continue in that manner.

"We have all seen the trouble many other clubs have got into and that can't happen at Preston.

"The chairman and the board were brilliant in supporting me when we brought in Wayne Brown on wages which weren't budgeted for. But we don't have to do that again at the moment.

"I don't want to just bring someone in for the sake of it."

Irvine says Mawene wasn't dropped - read the full story in Friday's Lancashire Evening Post

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