STUART McCall will be backed in the January transfer window – if City are still up there challenging.

Chairman Edin Rahic promised that the board will do their bit to maintain the momentum of a promotion push.

Sheffield United, Bolton and Scunthorpe are all expected to strengthen when the window opens in two months.

And speaking exclusively to the Telegraph & Argus, Rahic made it clear that City will not be left out as long as they remain in contention.

Rahic said: "There is money available if we are in a good position. We started four or five weeks ago to think about what will happen in January. We have to be prepared.

"Every other day we have a meeting with (chief scout) Greg (Abbott) to plan. We don't want to be under pressure to sign someone because of (lack of) time.

"The first transfer period was the toughest in my life because we were without a manager, not many players under contract and the delay of (being in) the play-offs.

"There was no time but I think we picked very good players under pressure."

McCall has said he will make up his mind by Christmas over the large group whose contracts are up in the summer. Rahic predicts movement out of Valley Parade as well as in when the window reopens.

"If the players don't have the game time they need for a new contract, they have to think about what's going on next," he said.

"We also have to think about if we want to keep those players for the rest of this season as well as next.

"If players don't play and they have to look for a new contract next season, they will ask to be transferred. We can use this budget, for sure.

"But if we find the right player, or the striker that everyone is looking for, we are prepared and we are interested.

"Most times in the winter transfer period you must be very lucky to get a very good player because the decisions are (made) at short notice.

"If we find two or three players that really help us, we will try. If not, we won't do it.

"We are able to get a player for a very good basic salary – but do we want that? We have a very good squad now, with a good atmosphere, and we don't want to crash this.

"Any player coming in must work because he only has four months to the end of April."