HARRY Kewell has told his Latics loanees they will have to fight for a place in his match-day squad.

Marcel Hilssner’s move from Coventry means Oldham have six players on temporary deals with only five permitted to named for any given game under EFL rules. 

Harry Clarke’s deal from Arsenal expires on January 20 but Kewell told The Oldham Times last week that he is keen to see that arrangement extended until the end of the season.

Ian Lawlor, Ben Garrity, Alfie McCalmont and Bobby Grant are the other loanees and deals could in theory be ended this month to ensure one of the six does not have to sit in the stands.

That is unlikely to be an issue at Walsall this afternoon with Grant, free from suspension, having been battling Covid-19 in recent weeks and only just back in training.

But going forward Kewell says the loan players will just have to make sure they do enough to ensure they’re not left out.

“The one thing you want to create in football is competition and you want people to be fighting for their jobs,” he said.

“You try and create that and then if someone’s got to miss out because they haven’t performed then that’s the way it’s got to be.”

Winger Hilssner looks set to be eased into action having not made an appearance for Coventry since his summer move from SC Paderborn in Germany.

At the Sky Blues he struggled with a breathing issue which has now been resolved, although Kewell is well aware it may take time for the 25-year-old to get up to speed.

Speaking yesterday, Kewell said: “He did his fitness stuff yesterday, he trained with us today and he’s looking good

“Let’s face it, he hasn’t played a lot of games for Coventry so he’s missed a lot of match fitness. But the only way to get match fitness is to play.

“Once he plays we’ll see how he goes.

“He had a bit of a thing with his lung but Coventry, with their medical system, sorted it out and he’s had not problem since.”

The Latics boss is also excited about what the new man could bring to an already free-scoring attack.

“I think he’ll bring hopefully stability, he’s very confident on the ball, he has a great range of passing and has got a good shot,” Kewell added.

“These are the things we’ve looked at and identified and we’re hoping he can bring those into our squad.”

With Clarke’s loan and Jordan Barnett’s short-term contract two issues to be resolved in the January transfer window Kewell is also looking at more incomings, the Australian seeing this month as a topping up process at Boundary Park having built a squad almost from scratch on his arrival in August.

“I think we’re still looking at a couple of players to create competition, not upset the harmony of the team, but I want to bring in quality to challenge the players that I’ve got,” he said.