Barnsley are considering bringing in a sixth loan player before Thursday's deadline. 

The Reds may be light on players for their two games over the Easter weekend at the end of next week as loan duo Callum Connolly and Ashley Fletcher have been called up for England youth teams. They also have injuries with first choice full-backs James Bree and Aidy White both expected to be out for at least another week while forward Marley Watkins has a calf problem.

"It's possible that we might look at another loan," said caretaker Paul Heckingbottom, who already has five loan players which is the maximum allowed in a matchday squad.

"We might be quite light over the Easter weekend which could be a problem.  We could be missing a lot of players all at once. But if we bring a loan player in we will have six and we will have to leave one of them out after that Easter weekend. What will that do to the dynamic of the squad and the dressing room?

"If you look at the last few weeks we have had a lot of players out because of injuries and suspension or loan players leaving but others have come in and taken their opportunity. They will have to do that again."

Heckingbottom admits the club have considered bringing in older players who are out of contract but have decided not to go down that route. He told the Chronicle: "We have been looking at free agents but it's difficult to find unattached players who meet our criteria of young, hungry players. The unattached players tend to be the older ones who would be stopgap which is something we have said we won't do because it will block the development of one of our younger players which we have committed to."

One deal that has gone through this week is the loan of Barnsley striker Harry White to National League side Boreham Wood. White, 21, scored three goals in seven games on loan to Kidderminster who are bottom of the same division and now joins Greater London club Boreham Wood – who are also battling relegation – until the end of the season. Barnsley also have George Maris on loan at Lincoln and Paul Digby at Ipswich Town in the Championship.

The Reds will have Connolly and Fletcher available at Fleetwood tomorrow but they are on international duty the following weekend when the Reds host Scunthorpe on Good Friday then visit Port Vale on Easter Monday.

Striker Fletcher, who has four goals in 14 games on loan from Manchester United, has been named in the England under 20 squad to face Canada at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium on Easter Sunday. Former Barnsley player Mason Holgate, now at Everton, has also been named in the under 20s squad.

A statement on the Reds' website said: "Fletcher looks likely to miss Barnsley's home game against Scunthorpe and potentially the game at Port Vale on Easter Monday."

The Reds confirmed that right-back Connolly, on loan from Everton, will miss both Easter games. The 18-year-old has been selected in the England under 19s team for the Elite Round of the UEFA Under 19s European Championship in Spain. They are due to face Georgia on Thursday, Greece on Easter Saturday and Spain on March 29.

Heckingbottom said of his loan duo: "I am really pleased for them. We're proud to have helped them."