Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell believes in strength in numbers
- Published
Stuart Kettlewell has been busy in the transfer market to freshen his Ross County squad
Stuart Kettlewell is seeking to bolster his Ross County squad as he anticipates a hectic schedule for his players.
The Staggies face four games in the opening 13 days of the season, but at least have the benefit of three of those being home fixtures.
"I still want to add two players to the group, which I'm working away on," said the manager.
"We'll need strength in numbers. We may sit with an extra player or two from what you might have had in the past."
County begin their Premiership campaign with the visit of Motherwell on Monday 3 August, then travel to Hamilton on the Saturday before hosting Kilmarnock on Wednesday 12 August and Dundee United three days later.
Kettlewell continued: "Coming off this type of lay-off and looking towards the fixtures, I think we'll need a substantial number of players to make sure we're successful through this period.
"There's definitely going to be an element of trying to keep your group fresh and ready to play. That's how I'm looking at the course of the season."
Skipper Marcus Fraser opted to reject a new deal and has left County, but former Hearts right-back Connor Randall, 24, has been added to the squad, along with 22-year-old Oldham centre-back Alex Iacovitti and Gillingham midfielder Regan Charles-Cook.
Experienced defender Callum Morris has signed a new deal and midfielder Stephen Kelly has joined for the season on loan from Rangers.
In addition, Kettlewell is pleased to report that midfielder Ross Draper has had two full sessions in his comeback from injury, though has suffered a slight setback, while fellow midfielder Joe Chalmers and centre-back Tom Grivosti are "making steady progress".
"I'm seeing a very competitive-looking squad, we've got decent numbers," added the manager.
"I'm delighted with the business we've done, delighted with the guys we have and delighted to see some of the longer-term injuries working away. I think it puts us in a decent position. We just want to get cracking."