Jody Morris said Swindon's injury woes have deepened as their search for replacements hits a snag

Jody Morris admitted that Swindon have experienced difficulties finding a free agent defender to cover for the present injury crisis. Total Sport’s Joe Acklam spoke to the head coach ahead of Town’s trip to Leyton Orient.

Ciaran Brennan and Ellis Iandolo have both picked up injuries in the last week, leaving Swindon with seven defensive injuries leading into their trip to the home of the league leaders.

Morris had been positive about Town’s chances of bringing in reinforcements after the victory against Harrogate but admitted circumstances had gotten in the way.

He said: “It is not going as well as I would have liked [the attempt to find a defender], I wish I was sitting her saying that we had a defender through the door, but that hasn’t materialised.

“We lost experience through players going out of the door when I first came in and then we missed out on players on deadline day.

“We hoped to bring in defenders prior to the injuries to [Frazer] Blake-Tracy and Ciaran Brennan, it has been disappointing but not for the want of trying.

“There are numerous things that need to come into play when signing free agents, they need to be fit, which has been an obstacle with one not being fit to train when we thought we were getting them in.

“Then it is making sure you can get a deal done and get the right one through the door, sometimes the goalposts move and it looks like that might have been the case.

“Let’s see what happens in the next day or two, but I was certainly expecting to have at least one defender through the door this week.”

Through all the struggles to find a new defender, Swindon’s injury woes have deepened as Iandolo has struggled with an injury during training this week.

Morris said: “I think we will have a problem involving Ellis [Iandolo] at the weekend because he has not made it through a training session this week.

“If you thought the defensive problems were bad after Saturday, it is even worse now.

“I think he has a problem with his heel, we are waiting on results and feedback of what it is, but he is not in a great place at the minute.

“As far as how we are going to play or who is going to play where, I don’t think anybody at this table would be in the know of anything at the minute and that includes myself.

“It is hard to prepare for stuff when you haven’t got players who are out on the pitch.”