SAM Allardyce is hoping to secure a hat-trick of signatures this week as he bids to capitalise on Wanderers' flying start to the season.

The Reebok boss is confident of completing the signing of Nigerian international Mutui Adepejo, hopeful that Mark Fish will accept a three-year extension to his contract and aiming to lend a second loan player to reinforce his squad for a run of eight games in 31 decisive days.

Allardyce knows that, despite an unbeaten start and six successive wins, Wanderers will only get an accurate measure of their Division One credentials when they have played the so-called 'big-hitters' - Blackburm, Fulham and Watford - over the coming weeks.

And with injuries continuing to deny him the services of some of his most experienced talent - Paul Warhurst, Robbie Elliott and Mike Whitlow - he accepts it's a tall order.

Hence the need to get 29-year-old midfielder Adepejo on board as quickly as possible.

The identity of the loan target and his position remains a mystery but the manager sounded determined when he revealed after Saturday's 2-0 victory over Portsmouth: "They are short-term signings we need to keep this fantatstic run going."

Though confident of getting Fish to agree to the new three-year contract he has offered, the manager sounded unduly optimistic that the deal will be struck this week after the player himself suggested he was in so rush to commit himself.

Meanwhile the euphoria over phenomenal supersub Michael Ricketts continues with the 21 year old striker coming off the bench to score his sixth goal of the season on Saturday.

Allardyce still refuses to guarantee Ricketts a place in his starting line-up but he has acknowledged that he has a hot property on his hands and has voiced his concern that he could soon come under pressure to sell.

"The only game he started was against Tranmere and he didn't look like scoring," the manager pointed out. "I'm a superstitious man and, unfortunately for Michael, my superstitions will stay with me because he's maintained his fanatstic goalscoring record as a substitute.

"Perhaps if he starts a match, the pace is so frantic and he's short of match fitness, he may not get the space and the time he's getting when he'd coming on when people are tired.

"He's got to be ready to start a game because inevitably he's going to do that but, when you've won six on the trot, you're not inclined to change things until you are forced to.

"But he's some talent. We spent a long time getting him sorted out to come to us and now he's here I just hope we can realise that talent even more before anybody else starts hunting like the wolves do.

"This club has done more busiensss than anybody else outside the Premiership in terms of bringing revenue in and we don't want to lose another major asset to a huge bid.

"The word has gone out about Michael Ricketts and, if he carries on like he is, then everybody's going to start coming to watch him. He's only a young man but he's got to take those pressures on his shoulders."