Preston North End boss Alex Neil says business needs to be done – in and out of Deepdale

The Lilywhites have made one summer signing to date, Patrick Bauer recruited on a Bosman from Charlton.

Centre-half Bauer pulled on a PNE shirt for the first time in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bamber Bridge at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium.

North End manager Neil has other targets and is also mindful of the current size of the squad.

At Bamber Bridge he was able to field 22 players and still not use Callum Robinson, Sean Maguire, Brad Potts and Darnell Fisher.

Five of the first-team squad’s younger players were on the bench too as unused substitutes.

Neil told the Lancashire Post: “Obviously we have still got a bit of work to do.

“At the moment I think we have got 24/25 fit players so there are a lot of bodies there.

“So we will see how it goes as the window develops.”

PNE have until August 8 to do their business – that 
applies to both permanent 
incomings and loan deals.

They can still sell or loan out to clubs in Leagues One and Two until September 2.

It might be that North End have to play a longer game in the window this summer.

Neil was generally pleased with what the 22 players he used at Brig had to offer.

He fielded a different XI in either half, both goals coming in the first half through Tom Clarke and Louis Moult.

Robinson and Maguire sat it out having only returned to training on Wednesday after an extended break following international duty.

Fisher was not risked due to a few aches and pains from the pre-season work, while Potts is coming back from surgery on his knee and they wanted to hold him back until the next friendly in Cork tonight.

Neil said: “Darnell had a bit of pain around his midriff in terms of his groins so we didn’t play him.

“Pottsy we have loaded up with work after coming back from his knee. He has done a lot of work in the last week-and-a-half so we needed to come off him a bit and leave him out of the game.

“We don’t want to overdo things but we will look at him for the next one.”

Neil is set to approach the Cork game tonight in the same way he did Bamber Bridge.

Robinson and Maguire are likely to play, Maguire facing the club who sold him to PNE two years ago.

“It will probably be two teams again, 45 minutes each because the games have come in quick succession,” said Neil.

“The lads only had Sunday to rest and at the moment it is a case of building them back in and getting them minutes.”