Jon Nolan and Toto Nsiala not training with Shrewsbury Town after submitting transfer requests

An unnamed Championship club, thought to be Paul Hurst's Ipswich Town, lodged a bid for the midfielder and defender earlier this week that was flatly rejected by Shrewsbury, who claim it was below their valuation.

But the next day Nsiala and Nolan submitted transfer requests in a bid to force a move away from Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Askey suggested it would not be fair to allow Nsiala and Nolan, both 26, to continue training.

He said: "No they're not here and won't play unless things change dramatically, I can't see it.

"It's a shame but it gives other people opportunity.

"Yes it's unsettling for everybody. But when things like this happen you have to move on and move on pretty quickly."

Hurst, who left Town for the Tractor Boys earlier this summer, is huge fans of the duo he has managed at both Grimsby and Salop.

Askey added that the news came as a blow just a few days before Town begin their League One campaign at home to Bradford City.

But he insisted that contingency plans have been in place for players such as Nolan and Nsiala being targeted, and that the club are now working as hard as they can to land several 'irons in the fire'.

"It's disappointing from our point of view. You get to this stage of pre-season and it's not news you want to hear," he continued.

"But I'm afraid that's football nowadays. We've got to get on and the most important thing is looking after Shrewsbury Town and getting players that want to play for the football club.

"When you've got players who've done well then these sort of things tend to happen. It's the timing of it that you can do without.

"You've got to deal with it. Accept it goes on and have irons in the fire ready for if anybody leaves.

"That's obviously something I've been thinking about.

"Until a football club comes in for them then they're your players. It gets to late in the day and you expect them to be here as Shrewsbury Town players.

"We had the offer and they put the request in. You've got to move on quickly as a manager."

Hurst refused to directly comment on the apparent approach for Nsiala and Nolan, who were key players in Town's remarkable surge to the play-off final last season.

The Ipswich chief said: "I don't want to comment on other club's players. But I've spoken highly of them in the past.

"One phone call could change everything. I could sit here and nothing's close but it might be - that's not in my hands.

"That's where patience comes in."