RICHIE Barker may have shot himself in the foot after allowing Ben Futcher to extend his loan at Mansfield Town on the same day Efe Sodje picked up a one-game ban.

The Shakers boss finds himself down to the bare bones at the back for the trip to in-form Hartlepool United, with youngster Andrai Jones the only option to replace the suspended Sodje.

Futcher had returned to the camp on Monday after a successful spell at Field Mill only to make a quick return.

Sodje was already treading a disciplinary tightrope before the 1-0 defeat at Chesterfield on Tuesday night, but he will now miss Saturday’s game at Victoria Park.

With Mark Hughes a few weeks away from a return, Barker was again left cursing his luck after allowing the experienced and influential Futcher to leave for a further two months.

“Ben came and trained with us yesterday and he was exactly what we needed because he grabbed hold of a few and livened the place up a bit,” he said.

“We sent him out on loan first off and Hughesy tore his hamstring. We've sent him out again and Efe has picked up a booking.

“It’s another thing to add to my list, isn’t it?”

After suffering a sixth straight defeat, Barker’s struggling Shakers head to a Hartlepool side enjoying their best-ever start to a season.

On-loan Sunderland keeper Trevor Carson came into the equation on Tuesday night, as did young midfielder Shane Byrne, and the manager believes he will need to tinker more with his side to conjure up the bit of luck he so desperately needs at present.

“I had to make very few changes last year in the eight games I was in charge because the team picked itself but I think that’s happened for too long,” he said.

“You can make too many changes and that can affect the way the team plays. But you can’t just keep throwing the same 11 players out there.”

One ray of hope on the horizon is the news that skipper Stephen Schumacher is expected to return to training on Monday.