Alexander warns off suitors

Alexander: Aiming to keep squad intact

Macclesfield Town manager Keith Alexander has sent a warning to other clubs that he will not be allowing his players to leave the club in January on the cheap.

Despite the Silkmen's inconsistent season to date a number of the club's talented youngsters, including John Rooney and Hamza Bencherif, have attracted interest from potential suitors.

However, former Lincoln City boss Alexander is adamant that he is not interested in selling any of his star performers just yet.

"We need to maintain our league status and push on, so losing our best players wouldn't help that too much," Alexander told skysports.com.

"It is all about winning games and we have got to start doing that soon.

"There is always a worry that bigger clubs will come in for your key players when the transfer window opens, but I won't be letting them go unless it's a good deal for both the club and the player in question."

The Silkmen's squad is down to the bare bones after a succession of injuries to key players, including Algerian Bencherif and midfielder Lee Bell, which makes Alexander's pledge to hold on to his players even more determined.

"It looks like he (Bencherif) may be out for the rest of the season and we will also lose Lee Bell for six to eight weeks after he has a cartilage operation, so they are two mainstays of the team.

"Ross Draper has also been missing lately, plus Paul Morgan, so we are down to the bare bones at the moment."