YORK City boss Jackie McNamara has revealed that out-of-favour quintet Keith Lowe, Josh Carson, John McCombe, Tom Platt and Marvin McCoy will not be considered for first-team selection before the January transfer window.

All five players were made available for loan moves prior to yesterday's transfer deadline but they remain at Bootham Crescent.

Having left them all in North Yorkshire and gone with a reduced subs' bench of six for Tuesday night's match at Portsmouth, McNamara insisted he is still looking for each player to seek new pastures.

"I've spoken to them about moving on and it's up to them now to make decisions, but I don't want unhappy players here," McNamara stressed. "Equally, some players can be comfortable with not playing and I don't want that either.

"I've been honest and told them they won't be involved with the first team because they need fresh starts elsewhere."

The former Scotland international and Celtic captain, meanwhile, reasoned that he felt a change in domestic circumstances has been the key factor behind two-time Press Player of the Year Lowe's loss of form this season.

"I think there are similarities between Keith's situation and the one I faced when I was a player at Wolves," McNamara suggested. "He was Player of the Year last season but his wife has had twins since and Keith's living in a flat up here for most of the time.

"Those type of things affect you. I think the best thing for him is to be closer to his family and that means either them coming up here or him going back down to the Midlands.

"He's a good professional and a good lad who's done well for this club before and I think, if his family circumstances hadn't changed, he would still be the same player he was last season."

Despite his uncompromising stance towards some of the squad's senior members, McNamara is in no mood to dispense with experience completely, saying: "It would be great to get players like Luke Summerfield, Russell Penn, Michael Coulson, Neil Berrett and Vadaine Oliver all in the team to help the others."

Summerfield and Penn will still be out against Accrington tomorrow with hamstrung pair Emile Sinclair and Eddie Nolan also sidelined, but Coulson could feature after missing the Fratton Park trip with a hip problem and Dave Winfield is available again following concussion.

Veteran midfielder Jonathan Greening, meanwhile, will start his three-match suspension with McNamara deciding against contesting his sending off for violent conduct at Pompey.

"I thought it was harsh at the time but, having seen it back on TV, it looks like we can't have any complaints about it," he confessed.