The Reds sit 18th in League One, with a hard-fought draw against Leicester in mid-October being followed by two EFL Trophy defeats. 

Daniel Stendel confirmed in his pre-match presser that there is an illness that has affected multiple members of the squad, including McGeehan, Toure, Connell and even Kirk on international duty. 

They will be assessed to see if they can play on Saturday. 

Cieran Slicker and Ziyad Larkeche are still a few weeks away from first-team action too. 

Four Barnsley players went away on international duty, which were Kirk, Noslin, Bland and Kelly. 

Patrick Kelly had the most successful period away, playing in all four of Northern Ireland’s Nations League fixtures. 

Barnsley have also been linked to former Stoke and Preston midfielder Daniel Johnson, and the 34-year-old would add much needed experience to the young squad. 

As for opponents Stockport, they are currently fifth with four wins, one draw and three losses after eight games. 

The Hatters are the joint top-scorers in the division and have reached the play-offs in their last two seasons in League One, losing to Leyton Orient in the semis in 24/25 and the final to Bolton in 25/26. 

They are managed by former Barnsley player Jim McNulty, who replaced Dave Challinor in the summer. 

McNulty won the National League play-offs with Rochdale last season. 

Last season, Barnsley drew at Edgeley Park in November and lost the reverse fixture on the last game of the season. 

The two sides have played 97 times over the years with The Reds winning 32 and losing 31.