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The Bulls appear desperately short in attacking options ahead of their seasonal debut against Leyton Orient in six days - but they're not the only one to be still chasing players with the curtain about to be raised.
With defensive, midfield, wing, and forward options still being explored you can imagine four new signings for the Bulls before next Saturday but the rest of League One - and football across the board - is struggling to get players in place for the big kick-off.
While the Bulls have fielded more than 20 trialists in the last few warm-up games they have taken on very few of them as they either fail to make the grade or wage demands prove too rich for the hand Graham Turner has to play from. But it appears to be the same across the board.
Under normal circumstances this weekend's games would prove to be the dress rehearsals for just about every side - the final starting XI for the curtain raiser playing the majority of the game with the game faces on as if were 'real'. Last season 10 of the 11 starters to beat Cheltenham in the final friendly faced off against Rotherham in the season opener, with the 11th man - Kris Taylor - swapping roles with Ben Smith in each match.
In reality, the bulk of League One are short in at least one position or more ahead of the August 9th kick-off.
Leyton Orient, the opening opponents, face a defensive crisis with Simon Dawkins missing the opener - and more - and ex-Bull Tamika Mkandawire also struggling for fitness. Another ex-Bull, Dean Smith, was a visitor to Edgar Street on Friday night and admitted the re-introduction of 'Tammy' to competitive games was hasty and counter-productive to his fitness.
Eight different League One sides are still chasing forward options, MK Dons are six men short on last season's starting set-up. Swindon, Walsall, and Yeovil are all looking to add at least four new signings in the coming week - or by the end of August as a last-gasp measure. In fact every one of the 24 League One clubs are still in need of addition.
Not one side in this division is the finished article. The Bulls are not finished yet!
