Declan Devine provides update on Glentoran's injured stars and transfer plans

The Glens have brought in Greg Sloggett, Zeno Ibsen Rossi and Rhys Walsh throughout the current window, adding to a star-studded squad that finished third last season, six points adrift of champions Larne.

Devine’s men collected Glentoran’s highest points tally last term since the East Belfast outfit last won the Gibson Cup in 2008/09 with the Glens chief keen to end an 18-year wait for league joy in 2027.

Glentoran have conducted impressive transfer business across recent windows with the likes of Pat Hoban, Jack Malone, Jordan Stewart, Josh Daniels and Aaron McEneff arriving at The Oval.

With a number of weeks remaining in this summer’s window, Devine could look to strengthen further, but isn’t interested in signing off any deals unless it benefits the collective.

"If we are (to sign more players), it has to make us better,” said Devine. “I expect a few young players to go out on loan.

"There'll be a few players going out, there’s a lot of interest in our young players...we expect that to happen in the next week or two.

"But for me, if there is a player or two that come in, then they have to make us better.

"We've Jarlath O'Rourke to come back, Liam Burt, Greg Sloggett, so there's a few lads there that certainly will make our group stronger.

"But as I say, the window will keep going and it has to be the right person to make us stronger.”

When asked for an update on a number of his injured players, Devine replied: “(Josh) Daniels will be two weeks.

"Daniels got a bang in the knee in Europe and he should be a week or two away.

"(Andrew) Mills rolled his ankle last week, he'll get that scanned, hopefully he'll be okay.

"Once we get everybody back, it's serious competition for places.”

Glentoran will travel to Windsor Park on Saturday for this season’s first ‘Big Two’ showdown against Linfield.

While Devine’s men beat Limavady United 2-0 on the opening weekend, the Blues are coming off a shock 3-0 home loss to Ballymena United.

However, Devine isn’t paying much attention to the Sky Blues result with the Irish League’s most fierce rivalry often about “on the day”.

"The way we speak in the changing room, in our analysis room, every week's a big week in the Irish League,” added Devine. “I had two players playing (against Limavady) that played 24 months ago in the opening game against Crusaders.

"It's been a huge turnover of players. I'm delighted with the players that we have.

"The mentality of the group is get three points, get the job done, get ready for the next one, and hopefully do the same.

"It's a ‘Big Two’ game, it's two huge football clubs.

"We'll not look at what happened to them (against Ballymena), we'll look at the quality that they possess.

"I watched them against Limavady a couple of weeks ago and they were very good.

"I don't think there's ever been a Glentoran manager that looked at a ‘Big Two’ game and went, ‘well, we'll be alright’. It's on the day.”