SAINTS will stick with the squad that has fired them to the top of the Championship at least until January after the emergency loan window slammed shut without any movement.

The club had been in the market for a striker with Lukas Jutkiewicz attracting the attention of both Saints and Middlesbrough.

However, Coventry boss Andy Thorn won his battle to hang on to the striker – for now.

That leaves Nigel Adkins with just two fully fit strikers at the moment – Rickie Lambert and Guly Do Prado.

Boro are expected to make a bid to sign Jutkiewicz permanently once the January window reopens, when Saints will also step up their efforts to sign another striker.

Saints had explored the possibilities of completing a deal with a view to a permanent move before the emergency loan window closed.

But they were only ever going to go through with it if the deal was right for them.

And, as no possible transfer met that criteria, there will be no new additions until January.

As long as players stay fit, then that is not a particular worry in most areas.

The only one where they are vulnerable is up front due to David Connolly’s injury.

With Lee Barnard still finding his way back to fitness, it has left just Rickie Lambert and Guly Do Prado as the only recognised, fully fit and experienced strikers in the squad at present.

As long as they are available and firing.

then Saints have no need to worry, especially as Barnard will have the time to get himself ready for a full 90 minutes as the days and weeks progress.

Connolly is also receiving treatment to try and make a quick return as well.

The problem will come for Nigel Adkins if they are not.

The choice not to sign anyone is a calculated gamble.

Saints will, no doubt, have taken into account that the fixture list is not actually all that heavy up until the turn of the New Year.

There are only seven games between now and the reopening of the transfer window – and they are spread out over the space of five weeks.

That means plenty of recovery time for players in the event of minor knocks or injuries, and there is little chance of the current stars needing a rest for fear of a burnout with that modest workload.

For his part, when asked about the Saints enquiry, Southampton-born Jutkiewicz said: “It’s probably not appropriate for me to comment.

“It’s always flattering to hear such speculation.

It might have been perceived as a distraction before the game (against Cardiff) but thankfully I proved that it wasn’t.”