Matt Sparrow remains a target for Scunthorpe United but manager Brian Laws must wait

MANAGER Brian Laws insists a hamstring injury to Scunthorpe United midfielder Damien Mozika will not alter his recruitment plans.

The Frenchman will be sidelined for at least the next month after suffering a tear in Saturday's goal-less draw with Shrewsbury Town.

Laws remains keen on bringing Matt Sparrow back to Glanford Park but will not be rushed into any panic buying to cover Mozika's absence.

"We've got to still try to stay calm," he said.

"Just because we've picked up an injury we mustn't go off the track too much. We know that certain circumstances arise like this, we've got to deal with them.

"We've got the personnel that can deal with it but you would like to try to strengthen any areas we can.

"That's something I will try to do, however, it's got to be in the remit of our finances."

Wages had previously been the stumbling block in securing Sparrow, but Brighton and Hove Albion have since revealed they are trying to reach a settlement with the midfielder to pay up the last six months of his contract.

Laws though, must still exercise patience.

"I think it adds a little bit of complication because until that deal's done he's going nowhere," he said.

"While they're trying to negotiate his deal nothing is going to be done.

"It makes life more difficult.

"They're serious about trying to come to a decision with Matt to pay him up so he can move on, and Matt's not going to do anything until such time as he gets to the right figure.

"That could take until whenever, we don't know. Until they've sorted that out we're stuck.

"But I don't want to be stuck too long."

Laws is "confident" of boosting his squad further and has welcomed the addition of Dennis Hobson to the Iron board.

The two have already teamed up to clinch a deal with striker Akpo Sodje, but the manager must still move players on to free up funds – and "the phone's been very quiet" on that front.

"We're very fortunate a new director has come on board, that's released a little bit of funding but other than that I've still got to keep doing what I was trying to do and that is try to get somebody else out," added Laws.

"I've already now got to a point where our squad is really thin and I'm working with 17 players, so to release somebody, that's going to take time.

"We've got to be very careful.

"I knew Dennis from my Sheffield Wednesday days – only lightly, I didn't know him a great deal.

"Quite clearly he's a clever man in his boxing promotions and he knows the communication side with athletes.

"And he knows the other side of the coin when you have to deal with agents, he understands that kind of thing as well.

"He wants to really push on and help us and support us as much as he possibly can.

"He's a guy who will probably think outside the box as well a wee bit. Sometimes you need people like that.

"Hopefully he'll be a great addition for us and add to what we've already got. Hopefully we'll be stronger for it."