CHRIS Powell is prepared to give his League One winning squad the chance to prove themselves in the Championship but also expects to make a few additions in the close season.

The Addicks boss made wholesale changes last summer and the decision has already paid off with promotion and title already in the bag.

And although extremely impressed by what has been achieved so far, the manager certainly isn’t prepared to stand still ahead of the club’s return to English football’s second tier for the first time since 2009.

Powell said: “It is a settled squad, I wouldn’t say team because it is about trying to see if they will develop with us.

“I had League One/Championship in mind (last summer) and they’ve certainly played their part this year but it is about stepping up.

“It is a step up for me, for my players, for my club and for my supporters it is a step up and we’ve all got to make sure we are ready for it.

“When you evolve and develop as a team I see us starting all over again from last summer.

“I see us saying ‘right, this is where we want to go, this is our future’ and if you want to improve that will mean that you want to add players to the squad that will make us better, as simple as that.

“That is how it is for any football club and we are no different.”

He added: “We won’t be having that big overhaul again because I do have a good group of players who deserve the right to come up and grow with the club and if they step up, they stay and they play their part.

“If I feel that we need to add I will do that but I like what I’ve got at the moment.

“But of course we won’t stand still, that’s not my way and we will move forward as much as we can, not to the detriment to the finances of our club but we will move forward for sure.”

One man who could be set to stay is Darel Russell, who is currently on loan from this Saturday’s opponents Preston, a game he can’t play in under the terms of his temporary contract in SE7.

Powell said: “He is a player who is obviously in my thoughts with regards to the future but he is not our player first and foremost, plus Preston have a different manager now since he came here.

“That is something which will be under discussion a little bit on Saturday, but not much because we’ve got this game but definitely next week I can speak to Graham Westley and then we will go from there.

“Darel hasn’t spoken about it because he has had the longest ban in the world.

“It is unfortunate for Darel because by now his ban would have been up but under the terms of the loan he can’t be considered for this weekend.

“A lot of discussions and talking will be happening, not only between me and Graham, but to players and agents etc.”

Powell added Russell’s situation was very similar to Dany N’Guessan’s, although Millwall manager Kenny Jackett told News Shopper this morning he would like to keep the player once he returns from The Valley.

However, this doesn’t appear to have put off Powell, who said: “Dany has made an impact for us which has been important.

“When you look back at the games he has been involved in they are three massive goals for us.

“I will have to speak to Kenny.

“Their season finishes on Saturday, we’ve got another week and I’m sure Kenny will be around and we will speak about next year.

“He may want Dany to come back initially, because he is their player, and then he may say ‘I’m keeping him’ or ‘I want him to move on’.

“Again, that is a discussion between myself and Kenny.”

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