Barnsley will continue to carry just three senior players in most positions next season, despite being hampered by a lack of centre-backs this week.
Captain Marc Roberts is out for the season with an ankle injury he sustained in the loss at Bristol City on Saturday, which left Angus MacDonald as the only fit senior centre-back and meant young loan full-back Gethin Jones had to play there. But Adam Jackson is back in training after a hamstring injury and is likely to start against Burton Albion tomorrow.
Head coach Paul Heckingbottom told the Chronicle: "I would love to have more strength in depth, but we can't afford it so we will have to carry fewer numbers. What we would ideally like is the cover to be from our under 23s but it hasn't been good enough in certain positions and it's something we will have to try to improve. We need to start developing our own players who can get into that squad."
He added: "We have ridden our luck a lot during this season because we haven't had a lot of cover in defence. "We know when it happens it's going to cost us. Robbo going off in Bristol definitely cost us the game."
Roberts and full-back Andy Yiadom – who has had an operation on his shoulder – are both expected to be fit for the start of pre-season training in late June with both likely to attract attention from rival clubs despite being under long-term contracts at Oakwell.
Winger Adam Hammill could recover from a toe injury in time to play a part at Newcastle United in the final game of the season on May 7.
Midfielder Matty James is likely to return to the side for tomorrow's match after missing the Bristol City game as his partner had given birth that morning. Aidy White and Sessi D'Almeida are both out for the season with long-term injury problems.
