Edwards, on loan from Stoke, has seen a specialist after injuring his medial ligament in the FA Cup loss at Derby. It's a separate issue to what sidelined him over the festive period.

The Reds will get an update on Friday, but Duff is planning for life without him for a spell.

Duff, whose side visit Charlton Athletic on Saturday, said: "It's not great, it looks a long one. He's had a scan. He's opened up a medial ligament and we will know more tomorrow (Friday), when he goes and sees a specialist. It's looking great; it's looking two or three months.

"If we think it is the news that we think, we will probably look to bring somebody in.

"It's a position we weren't looking for, but Tom's been a really good player for us and done really well. We will need to find a replacement as we are low there.

"We are in the hands of the specialist. He might turn around and say: 'well, he will be all right in six weeks.' Or he could turn around and say he's out for the season. We will react off the back of that meeting."

Duff will attend a meeting with the club's recruitment staff on Thursday to assess their line of attack for the rest of the window.

Duff, who has scotched talk of a move for Manchester United youngster Charlie McNeill, said: "It changes consistently and off the back of the meeting with Tom, we will react to that.

"That's a big meeting this afternoon (Thursday) with the recruitment team and Khaled (El-Ahmad - CEO) and staff to see where we are with things. Lots of plates are spinning.

"The club has shown that if they think there's value in a player, they'd rather buy someone who is their own than take a loan as essentially it's dead money.

"You are investing time and money in someone else's player, but financially that might dictate where we are at.

"If there is the right player, then I think the club will do something. But I don't really get involved in the budgetary side of it.

"We were only ever looking to do two or three. That might go up to three or four now because of Tom."

Recent signing Max Watters will be involved at the weekend, Duff added.

The Reds chief, who is confident there will be no significant outgoings this month, said: "He will be involved on Saturday. He's not fit to start; I don't think I am telling any major secrets there.

"He has been short of football, he's not had a lot of minutes anyway - he's been ill and injured for the last month.

"But he's been training with us and had a good week's training, which is what we wanted and we have not scored a goal in the last two games. So he will definitely add to the group."

Barnsley FC transfer news: Michael Duff on what Tom Edwards' injury means for Reds plans + fitness update on Max Watters