NIGEL Adkins admits he is getting a worrying sense of deja vu following the Iron's start to the season.

Twelve months ago, on the back of promotion to the Championship, injuries meant Scunthorpe struggled to name a settled back four – one of the reasons why the United manager felt his side were poor defensively.

Now Adkins hopes the same isn't about to happen again.

He was missing first-choice centre-back pairing David Mirfin and Rob Jones for Saturday's 2-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers through a combination of injury and illness – meaning first league starts of the season for young duo Michael Raynes and Niall Canavan.

With Jim McNulty forced off late on at Loftus Road after taking a bang on the ankle, United will find out later today whether their defensive options have been further depleted.

And whatever the outcome on that front, Adkins admits having to chop and change personnel has not helped his side's hopes of a flying start to the campaign.

"We've been disrupted," he said.

"Players have had an extremely good pre-season, where they have looked fit and on form, and then we've lost them to injury, which is disappointing but a fact of life.

“What that does is create an opportunity for players like Niall Canavan. We’ve got high hopes for him and we’ll keep giving youngsters opportunities.

“But it is concerning that we’ve had to make three changes to the back four because we’re trying to keep that as settled as we can.”

Adkins revealed after his side’s second defeat in three league games that Mirfin and winger Garry Thompson could both be out of action for several weeks.

Thompson has been for a scan on a groin problem, while Mirfin remains sidelined with a lower leg injury.

Adkins has refused to put a timeline on when both will be back.

Their absence was compounded little more than an hour before kick-off on Saturday, when Jones was forced to withdraw from the squad having been ‘violently sick’.

With only 18 players travelling to London, that meant United could name only six players on the bench.

Adkins has confirmed he is chasing two ‘much sought-after’ players, likely to be Premier League youngsters, to boost flagging numbers, having already missed out on two targets last week.

“We’re actively working hard, but I think everyone is aware of the resources Scunthorpe United have,” he said.