Huddersfield Town are assessing their options ahead of the opening of the Football League loan window next week.

Manager Chris Powell is considering how to cope with the loss of Jacob Butterfield after the star midfielder joined Derby County in an initial £5m deal on transfer deadline day last Tuesday.

With Jordy Hiwula loaned out to Wigan Athletic, a question mark over James Vaughan’s future at the club and former Newcastle United star Shola Ameobi training at PPG Canalside, it’s clear Powell is also interested in a new striker.

And Alex Smithies’ £2m departure to Queens Park Rangers has clearly left the club light in terms of goalkeepers.

Town were linked with then-AFC Bournemouth stopper Lee Camp before the closure of the August transfer window, but the experienced Northern Ireland international joined Rotherham United.

The Football League loan window opens on Wednesday and runs until November 25.

Huddersfield Town v Brighton and Hove Albion: Jacob Butterfield celebrates his goal for Town.
Huddersfield Town v Brighton and Hove Albion: Jacob Butterfield celebrates his goal for Town.

Premier League clubs are not allowed to make any new signings in this period, although they can loan players into the Football League.

No contracted overseas players can be brought in.

A loan move can last for between 28 and 93 days, with a three-month deal keeping a player at his new club until the transfer window opens again in January.

Free agents, like Ameobi, aren’t bound by any window.

Town already have three loan players on the books in Nottingham Forest attacker Jamie Paterson, Middlesbrough and Gambia winger Mustapha Carayol and Wigan and Wales midfielder Emyr Huws.

Jamie Paterson joins Huddersfield Town on loan
Jamie Paterson joins Huddersfield Town on loan

Now Powell and football operations chief Stuart Webber will be scouring the Premier League for available players.

These lists are often affected by the business top-flight clubs do during the closing stages of the August transfer window.

The same applies to the wealthier Championship clubs, who may loan out certain players after signing others.

Town for instance, brought in Jermaine Beckford on loan from Leicester City in September 2012 and Grant Holt from Wigan a year ago.

Both turned out to be influential, and Powell, whose side have yet to win in six games in all competitions and are third-bottom in the early table, will be seeking a similar boost.