Cole Stockton on Shrewsbury shortlist as Daniel Udoh injury gets assessed

Cotterill has previously said he is in the market for a striker and midfielder this month.

And the Shropshire Star understands Stockton is one player on a shortlist of targets.

The striker scored 23 league goals in 44 appearances for Morecambe last season.

And securing the signature of the powerful forward would be a boost to Town as they wait to see what damage Udoh has done to his knee after he came off during their draw at Bristol Rovers.

“I just worry if it is a ligament injury, that is where I am at the moment,” the boss said when asked about the injury. “I have got to be honest when I look at it and happens it is so innocuous.

“He is a big strong boy Dan Udoh.

“I really really hope I am wrong. I do hope, but just the way he went down.

“And he does a lot of twisting and turning, and when you do a lot of twisting and turning you put your knee under what is called a valgus force. And that force ends up being bad ligament injuries and that is my worry if I am being brutally honest right now.

“It won’t make any difference whatever I say because the injury is the injury now. I do worry a little bit.”

The incident happened when the forward chased a ball into the channel.

He went down initially and received some treatment but he tried to carry on.

But moments later, he went down again, and he had to be replaced by Rekeil Pyke.

The 25-year-old has been desperately unlucky this season with injuries.

He missed Shrewsbury’s last pre-season game against Burnley and their League One curtain-raiser at Morecambe with an ankle injury.

And Udoh has just started getting back up to full match sharpness, so if it is a serious injury, it will be a huge blow for Town.

Cotterill continued: “It is a blow that he had to go off. We don’t know how big a blow yet.

“So I don’t want to blow it up into something because I don’t really know.

“I am just fearful, but we will get him and get a scan done quickly.”

With Aiden O’Brien’s injury, which will see Town’s other forward miss six weeks after he had minor surgery on a hip problem, Salop are short in forward areas.

And perhaps the injury to Udoh increases the importance of getting a striker. The boss said that they are still working on a couple of additions before the window closes, but admitted it is challenging.

“They are up and down every moment,” Cotterill said when asked if there is an update on transfers. “First of all, you think you are going to get somebody.

“All of a sudden somebody else comes in for them or somebody pays a bit of extra money.

“We are still in the mix, we are still looking the next three or four days is going to be the busy moment.”