"Dip into the free transfer market" - Huddersfield Town urged to move after big Lee Nicholls update | OneFootball

Our Huddersfield Town fan pundit discussed whether they need to sign a free agent following Lee Nicholls' injury

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Huddersfield Town have been told to dip into the free transfer market to sign a goalkeeper following the news that Lee Nicholls will undergo surgery after suffering an injury to his elbow.

Nicholls had been managing the injury but aggravated it prior to the Terriers' 2-1 loss away to Reading on Saturday, and he's set to be sidelined for the next 10-12 weeks, as per the Yorkshire Post.

Back-up goalkeeper Chris Maxwell is currently also unavailable due to a slight heart issue caused by a viral infection, which meant that third choice shot-stopper Jacob Chapman started against the Royals, with 16-year-old Francis Hurl named on the bench.

Given the fact that Michael Duff now has both Nicholls and Maxwell unavailable, perhaps the Terriers could dip into the free transfer market to bring an experienced shot-stopper to the club, with Chapman having just four first-team appearances for Huddersfield under his belt.

Huddersfield Town told to sign a free agent goalkeeper

Our Huddersfield Town fan pundit, Graeme Rayner, believes that the club should look to add a free agent goalkeeper to their ranks in the near future, but isn't overly confident they'll make the right decision.

Speaking to Football League World, Graeme said: "It’s potentially a big blow because at times like this you need your big players, and he has been a big player, but over the last season and a half he’s not really been at his best, and he’s not been the player that he was when he first joined the club.

“The chance we have is that it leaves Jacob Chapman as our only fit option, and he’s relatively untested. I think he’s a very good goalkeeper and potentially a future first-teamer, but it leaves us thin in the squad.

“Chris Maxwell has some sort of underlying issue that means he can’t play, so I think we probably do have to dip into the free transfer market just for some stability.

"Having had a look at some of the free agents, the only goalkeepers I’ve heard of would be massively out of our price range, like Loris Karius or Keylor Navas, who would be massively unrealistic for a League One club and everyone else who is available looks like they’re available on a free transfer for a reason.

“Given our recruitment team’s abject performance at times, it’s not fulfilling me with a lot of confidence that we’ll get it right.”

Lee Nicholls' injury has come at a bad time for Huddersfield Town

The Terriers have endured a tough couple of weeks results wise, and losing a player as important as Nicholls is far from ideal.

Duff's side made a good start to the season but have slipped down the table in recent weeks, and someone like Nicholls, who has been at the club for a number of years and has 122 appearances under his belt, would have been someone they turned to in a bid to stop the rot.

Being without Nicholls and Maxwell, two experienced goalkeepers, means that it is a big responsibility for 23-year-old Chapman, who has little senior experience, and while he may be a good player in the future, it's a risk having to start him in big League One games at this stage.

It leaves Duff in a difficult situation, and the Terriers boss may just be keeping tabs on the free transfer market to see if there's anyone suitable they could bring in on a short-term basis.