"I will speak to Stephen later," Dearden told the Nottingham Evening Post on Thursday. "It is up to him at the end of the day."
"If we need to bring someone else in then they have to be a good addition to the squad we have got.
"But we will assess what we have first.
"I am hoping one or two of the young players will have learned from the experience they gained when they were in the team at the back end of last season when we had so many serious injuries.
"I am hoping they will come back physically and mentally stronger and if one or two of them get in the team this season that then they can make it very difficult for other players to get back in."
Meanwhile Dearden confirmed that Jake Buxton would remain the clubs skipper.