Club News

NATHAN JONES | BERRY AND POTTS COULD RETURN TOMORROW NIGHT

Town boss Nathan Jones has said that Luke Berry and Dan Potts are both eligible to play in tomorrow's Checkatrade Trophy match against Peterborough United at the ABAX Stadium.

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Berry has made one appearance this season, coming on against West Bromwich Albion in the Carabao Cup in August, whilst Potts has recovered from a groin injury.

Jones explained: "Luke Berry and Dan Potts have both been in full training so are eligible, so we're in a much better place, it's only Danny and Jack Senior that are definitely missing.

"We want to get everyone back as quickly as we can so we have good options, because we've got a really important period now, so it's vital.

"[They will play] if they're right up to it. We won't just bring them back because this is a different game from a league game. It's got to be right and it's got to be the right timescale. We will evaluate and discuss that after training today."

The match will come too soon for Jack Senior though, who will miss out with a hamstring problem.

"He's just had general stiffness really," Jones continued.

"It's his back and things like that that are affecting his hamstrings. So we have taken him out of training and are strengthening him to get him back. He's relatively young and inexperienced in terms of loading and so on, so we've just got to be careful with him. He should be back in training on Thursday, but it'll be too early tomorrow night.

"He's important to what we do in terms of the squad and providing competition for the ones we have got. We've got real good, young full-backs at the club and it's a shame because it's a real good opportunity for him. He had the opportunity to go out on loan to a good club. We turned that down because of our schedule, so for him to miss out is doubly disappointing."

Frankie Musonda isn't eligible to play as he is still within the first 28 days of his loan at Vanarama National League South outfit Oxford City, who drew 3-3 with Tranmere Rovers on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup.

The gaffer felt on balance though the experience the academy graduate is getting at Court Place Farm has been of real benefit.

Jones said: "We can't recall him within the first 28 days, but we knew it was a real good opportunity for Frankie to get a lot of games under his belt and to play in the FA Cup, which proved to be a wonderful game for him.

"We wanted that test for him and it's proved a good decision. Yes, he would have played in our Checkatrade team tomorrow, but we felt the number of games he's played at Oxford and having another game against league opposition will really benefit him and they have done superbly well.

"They were unlucky not to go through, only a late goal denied them. So he's in a good place and it's proved to be a decent decision."

Goalkeeper Harry Isted has played in both of the Town's previous Checkatrade Trophy group stage games so far this campaign, with Jones delighted with Isted's performances.

"The good thing about it is Marek's enforced recuperation has given Harry an opportunity, which he has taken. I spoke to him the other day, I said 'there's no clear one, two, three,' and this is what we want. So Harry Isted is a lot closer to the other two than he was in my eyes and the club's eyes before Marek got injured.

"So that's been a real positive, Marek got injured which wasn't ideal, but James Shea has been brilliant since he came in and Harry Isted has stepped up and proved he is more than just a third choice development keeper, he is a real development keeper now and he's putting pressure on the other two which is really pleasing for a manager."

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