Crawley boss Richie Barker admits he does not have the budget to strengthen his squad when the loan window opens tomorrow.

Reds were only able to name six substitutes for their entertaining 3-2 victory over Gillingham on Saturday which lifted them to sixth in League One.

Barker’s options will be further restricted with striker Gary Alexander suspended for the next three games after being sent off in the second half following a tangle with Leon Legge.

Crawley have decided not to appeal against Alexander’s red card after studying video evidence but will welcome back Mike Jones and Joe Walsh for the visit of Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.

Barker said: “We’re running right at the top of our budget but nearly everybody runs their squad at the limit. You can only spend 60% of your income on players wages because of financial fair play so that is what people do.

“It means that if we wanted to bring someone in we would have to finance it by moving people out and that wouldn’t increase the size of the squad anyway.”

Barker initially suggested Crawley may appeal against Alexander’s dismissal but having seen replays accepts it would be futile.

It was the second game in a row Crawley have been reduced to ten men following Jones’s red card at Peterborough the previous weekend for two bookable offences.

Barker insists Reds are not a dirty side and was critical of referee Steve Rushton, who also sent off Gillingham’s Charlie Lee and showed five yellow cards in what was not a physical game.

Barker said: “We’ll have to do without Gary for however long now which is a shame because he had been in really good form.

“It is bonkers that two players were sent off when there wasn’t a malicious challenge in the game but when the referee starts showing so many yellow cards it is inevitable somebody is going to go down to ten men.”