Francis Laurent, a 6ft 3ins tall striker from FC Mainz 05 in the Second Division of the Bundesliga, is training with Barnet.

He is a 22-year-old Frenchman from the Ivory Coast and Paul Fairclough said: "We will have a look at him over the next week".

The manager, still trying to bring in loan players on Friday morning, said that he had spoken to Nicky Deverdics, the 20-year-old summer signing from former Scottish Premier League club Gretna, after his hernia operation at a London hospital on Thursday. Deverdics is expected to be out of action for 4-6 weeks.

The suspended Kenny Gillet is the only absentee for the visit to Rochdale and Michael Leary is expected to deputise in a reshuffled back four.


Dennis Signy