Joey Barton will allow striker Brett Pitman to leave Bristol Rovers before Monday's transfer deadline, the manager revealed on Saturday.
Pitman has struggled for playing time since joining the Gas as a free agent in the summer.
The 33-year-old has scored four goals and registered one assist in 18 games for Rovers.
He joins Gas defender Junior Brown in being given permission to assess what opportunities are available before trading ends at 11pm on Monday.
"We’re going to let Brett explore the market," Barton said. "We had a chat with him during the week and I think, the way we want to be and what we want to do, it hasn’t quite worked out for him.
"It’s going to be difficult to give him opportunities now based on the players we’ve got at our disposal.
"If you’ve had a career like Brett has had, you want to go out playing. You don’t want to go out being 19th man and not playing on a matchday.
"It’s different if you’re 20 and you’re developing, but not when you’re 33, so, I wanted to give him that opportunity.
"I spoke to him after the Scunthorpe game about exploring the opportunity to see what is out there for him. So, he’s doing that now with his agent."
Pitman's highlight in a Rovers shirt was the stoppage-time equaliser at Bradford City in October, and he also scored what should have been the winner before a late capitulation at Colchester.
Supporters were unconvinced by his signing, but he burst onto the scene at the Mem with a fine brace against Oxford United in the final pre-season friendly before the start of the season, including a stoppage-time winner from more than 40 yards.
But, after being central to Barton's plans at the start of the season, Pitman has become an increasingly peripheral figure and he was left out of the squad to face Walsall on Saturday.
His last league start came in the December defeat at Forest Green Rovers, with Barton preferring to go without a recognised number nine in several games.
And with the signing of Ryan Loft from Scunthorpe United this month, plus Leon Clarke's return from injury, Pitman's playing chances are minimal.
SIGN UP: For our newsletter to receive more exclusive Bristol Rovers content
