Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy will look to dip into the loan market if the slow start to the season continues.

The ‘emergency’ loan window opens for Football League clubs again this week and the EADT understands that the Blues have a number of targets – primarily right-backs and strikers – lined up.

Nothing is imminent, with McCarthy not panicking following a return of just four points from the opening five games of the campaign. Performances have been encouraging and back-to-back home games against Middlesbrough (Saturday) and Yeovil (next Tuesday) represent a golden chance to ignite the season.

Should those games not go to plan, however, then owner Marcus Evans – having limited expenditure over the summer – is prepared to loosen the purse strings, within reason, for one or two temporary additions.

With Elliott Hewitt having been dropped for the 1-1 draw at Birmingham and Luke Chambers operating as a makeshift right-back, McCarthy is considering whether an experienced player is needed to fill the void of Richard Stearman in that position.

Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley has been linked following his publicised fall-out with Paolo Di Canio at The Stadium of Light, but the EADT understands that his £32,000-a-week wages – even if heavily-subsidised – would prevent a switch to Portman Road.

Town’s strikeforce of David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy and Frank Nouble has contributed just one goal between them at the start of the new season, with their overall record for the club since McCarthy took over reading 13 in 73 appearances. Paul Taylor, meanwhile, remains short of fitness following his long-term injury.

Southampton’s Billy Sharp is available, but the Premier League club are unwilling to subsidise his £18,000-a-week wages at present. Unless that stance softens, then he too would be out of Ipswich’s price range.

There were 16 different players on loan at Portman Road during a rollercoaster 2012/13 campaign, with McCarthy insistent that he would not allow the core of his squad to be made up of borrowed players during his first full season in charge. He has certainly delivered on that promise, with Ryan Tunnicliffe the only loanee in his 22-man first team squad at present.

Speaking last December, he said: “I want to be the master of my own destiny. We might have five loan players again next season, but I’ll make sure we’ve got 18 others to supplement them. I wouldn’t want this situation again going forward.”