Stanley look set to lose the services of Kevin Long and have moved swiftly to bring in another defender.
Long, 21, has been a hit for the Reds this season but, with his loan spell up this week, he has returned to training with parent club Burnley with Eddie Howe keen to have a look at the centre half.
He could return to Stanley later in January but Howe may also loan him out to a League One club to gain higher league experience.
So boss John Coleman has snapped up 19-year-old defender Aristote (Toto) Nsiala on loan from Premier League Everton, who had League Two experience with Macclesfield last season.
"Toto is a good defender, he is quick and aggressive and has played in this league before," said Coleman. "I have tried to sign him before but Everton said no but now they have let him come to us."
The loss of Long will be a blow to the Reds. He has made 26 appearances for Stanley this season with three goals and has been a big part of their climb up the table to within four points of the play-offs. It’s thought Long would have been happy to stay at the Crown Ground.
Stanley, who drew 1-1 at Hereford last Friday and beat Macclesfield 4-0 on Monday, are also negotiating with Bournemouth about striker Jayden Stockley, who will play the final game of his current loan spell tonight at play-off chasing Burton.
And Coleman hasn’t ruled out the return of Sean McConville from Stockport. McConville scored 13 goals last season but chose to go to the Blue Square Bet Conference side despite the Reds offering him a contract.
The fee was decided by a tribunal but new boss Jim Gannon has to cut the wage bill at Edgeley Park. "Never say never," was all Coleman would say on the subject.
The Reds are looking to make it 10 games unbeaten at seventh placed Burton who have ex-Stanley striker Billy Kee in their ranks. He was on loan from Leicester at Stanley in 2009/10 and scored nine goals.
"Burton have started well and Billy has done well for them – he enjoyed his time here and we know him and he knows us," said the Reds chief.
"But people can get sidetracked by unbeaten runs as, in nine games, you can go unbeaten and sometimes only pick up 12 or 13 points.
"The big thing for us is winning games and what’s pleasing is we have won our last four home games.
"That was the bedrock of getting us into the play-offs last season and, if you win your home games, you invigorate the crowd, you invigorate the town and you get more people through the gates which helps ease the financial situation.
"I would like to assemble a side and consolidate that side throughout a period of time and would love the club to be self-sufficient financially but we seem to be getting further away from that.
"All we can do is do the best job we can and keep trying to win games. The good thing is you never hear our players complaining.
"They have been through a lot in the last year and had their ups and downs and have put up with a lot – and still are – but they have never taken it out on the pitch. They deserve to be congratulated for that."
Midfielder Luke Joyce is available again after a three-match ban while Ian Craney (broken leg) came through 70 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Liverpool Academy on Wednesday. Alan Burton (hernia) also came through 20 minutes.
Defender Sean Hessey though doesn’t look like he will make it after coming off in the first half against Macclesfield.
"He is unlikely to be fit," added Coleman.
