Ruaidhri Higgins says Derry City not planning any drastic changes in summer transfer window

Given the well documented injury woes the club has experienced from the season outset and the team's current difficulties in front of goal, it's fair to say a striker will be high on Higgins' shopping list this summer.

Colm Whelan has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury and having scored just once in the last four league matches, Derry will no doubt be in the market for a man who can bolster their league title credentials.

Derry have netted just 28 goals in 21 league fixtures and it has seen them fall six points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers - who have netted 16 more than their rivals - at the halfway mark.

With Matt Ward (Ipswich) and Ollie O'Neill (Fulham) returning to their respective parent clubs, Derry will be light in numbers and Higgins hopes to make a few new additions.

"We'll try and bring in a couple," he confirmed. "A couple will leave. Obviously Matt Ward has gone back to Ipswich, Ollie O'Neill will go back to Fulham now and one or two others might want to leave the club and pursue regular first team football, we'll see.

"So it might be a case of some out and a couple in but it won't be drastic.

"We need to get back to that stage where we have as many bodies available to us as possible because it's kind of one step forward and two back from that end.”