Chesterfield boss confident new signings will be available for weekend

Declan John, aged 20, has signed on loan from Cardiff City so international clearance is required. The Wales international defender had a loan spell at Barnsley last season shortly after Wilson left Oakwell.

Former Blades man Jordan Slew, 23, was released by Cambridge United at the end of the January transfer window and has been training with Spireites for a couple of weeks.

Slew scored three goals in 14 appearances for Sheffield United, under Wilson, before a big money move to Blackburn Rovers but he made just two appearances for them.

A series of loans preceded a move to Cambridge in 2014 but he scored just once for the League Two side.

Spireites will have their two first choice strikers, Lee Novak and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, available for the game against Crewe Alexandra - both were second half subs in the 1-1 draw at Colchester on Tuesday - whilst Wilson is hoping skipper Gary Liddle’s red card will be overturned on appeal.

Wilson said: “If we can’t make tackles like that in football games, we might as well all pack up and go home. This is about a winning mentality, winning your own little battles. The kid’s not injured, he’s just been in a bone shaker of a tackle from Gary, nothing wrong with it, not over the top, not jumping in at him. It was nothing more than winning the ball cleanly but hard.”

Wilson was delighted with his side’s performance for the remaining 70-odd minutes adding: “It was a terrific team performance; can we get better?

“Yes, of course, but in the circumstances given I don’t think we could have asked for any more.

“We had our backs against the wall, defended well, gone a goal behind, man down and still responded to the pressure they have to play under and that bodes well for the next few games.”

Crewe, unbeaten in six, though five have been draws, came back from two down on Tuesday to earn a point at Rochdale.