Slade set to make a loan signing

Orient manager Russell Slade hopes to strengthen his squad with a loan signing in the next 24 hours.

“I hope to have someone coming in before the weekend,” he said.

“I’m in the process of working on it now and it’s 90 per cent certain.”

A defender looks to top the list and Slade admitted: “We are a little short of options in that area, especially with Ben Chorley suspended at the moment,” he said.

“I have got Adam Chicksen on loan, but I’m short of defenders and need to deal with that.”

Slade took the chance to run the rule over former Charlton defender Jon Fortune and Brighton midfielder Jamie Smith in a friendly against West Ham United’s development squad earlier in the week.