LATEST Bury signing Robbie McIntyre may not be the only fresh face at the JD Stadium this week after manager David Flitcroft revealed he was talking to a number of prospective new recruits.

When the 19-year-old left-back was unveiled late on Friday night, it was assumed he was the final piece to the Shakers jigsaw Flitcroft had been talking about.

But the Bury boss said after naming the former Huddersfield Town teenager on the bench for Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Chesterfield that he was one for the future rather than the “here and now”.

“He’s come in as a development player,” said Flitcroft, who returned to the Terriers a week after snapping up James Burke from the West Yorkshire club.

“We’ve looked at Huddersfield and they have got a very good junior set-up.

“We have brought two of the boys from Huddersfield because I just thought we were a bit light in certain areas in the youth sector.

“Robbie is a development player so we are going to have a look at him and see what we can do over the next six months.”

With three players under the age of 24 in the Bury back-line on Saturday, it now seems as if Flitcroft is intent on boosting his defence with more experience before the close of the transfer window.

“We are certainly still looking,” he admitted. “Myself and the chairman have met two or three players and had some very encouraging conversations with them.

“It’s been positive but we are just trying to get them over the line.

“Sometimes players listen to their advisors and the better players have always got two or three options.

“I am hoping they choose Bury Football Club as the right place for them.”

One experienced defender notable by his absence from the squad on Saturday was new signing Pablo Mills.

The 29-year-old centre-back was expected to make his Shakers debut at the Proact Stadium after signing the previous week, but Flitcroft revealed after the game he had been nursing a knee injury.

“Pablo has played a (behind closed doors) game against Manchester United and just had a little bit of a tweak of his medial (ligament), but he’s had seven days now and it’s settled down,” he said.

Club captain Craig Jones also missed Saturday’s match after suffering a recurrence of a groin strain that had kept him out of two matches over the festive period.

The Bury boss said he would now have to see a specialist after the injury flared up following his substitute appearance at Hartlepool on New Year’s Day.

But with fellow midfielder Danny Mayor suspended, Flitcroft gave Jones an outside chance of returning for Saturday’s match at home to League Two promotion hopefuls Burton Albion.