Latics boss Micky Mellon has high hopes for Josh Stones, after making the young striker his first signing at Boundary Park.

The 20-year-old has joined Oldham initially on month long youth loan from Wigan Athletic.

Stones will go straight into the squad to face Solihull, with Alex Reid remaining on the sidelines with a muscle injury and missing out on a return to his old club.

"He (Stones) is a really highly rated young player who's experienced in non-league and going to Wigan," said Mellon.

"He's the type of character that we want to have at the club. We felt it was necessary to try to bring in some fresh faces and we'll continue to try to do that.

"I still think that we want to try to do more because the stepping stones towards that consistency of an Oldham team that we want to see and Josh will help us to do that.

"He's a striker who will put himself about, who has a lot of great qualities that we believe will make us more of a force."

Asked whether a striker had been a priority position, Mellon said: "I think we look over the whole group. I really love the players here and I enjoy working with the players, but I've also got to look at the evidence of the games, because at the end of the day the supporters and the owners will want me to build a team that satisfies them, and I felt that at times we've not been able to do that. So if there's an opportunity to bring people in to try to get closer to doing that for them then I'll do that.

"I don't want people to think I'll be going out and scatter-gunning. We'll look at things.

"I think myself and Gary (Brabin), and Darren (Royle) and Paul (Murray), we know so many people - agents and managers and players - we get offered so many opportunities of different players to come here.

"I think the way it will work is if we think it's better than what we've got and it gives us a better chance giving the supporters and the owners the team that they want then we would go all out to try to bring them in."