Blues' boss Joe Royle has a lengthy injury list ahead of Saturday's home clash with Wimbledon. However, he is able to name the same team which beat Walsall 2-1 on Tuesday night.

From that side Alun Armstrong missed training on Thursday but is expected to be involved on Friday and will be OK to face the Dons.

Tommy Miller, who has missed the last two games, saw a specialist earlier this week and has a tendon injury which is likely to keep him out of action for three to four weeks.

Also out for the two most recent games, Chris Makin had a scan last week which revealed a tear in his sartorius muscle - a thigh muscle - and is also on the sidelines for three to four weeks.

Midfielder Martijn Reuser is on the way back from his groin injury and is seeing a specialist on Friday. He's able to run, twist and pass but kicking the ball hard is still a problem for the Dutchman at present.

Central defender John McGreal is still suffering from a back injury and he saw a specialist this week. The former Tranmere man has been given a course of exercise aimed at strengthening his back

Nabil Abidallah has tendinitis but should be fit for next week's reserve game, also against Wimbledon. Antonio Murray completes the injury list after jarring his leg against Chelsea's second string on Monday.

Unusually Royle has named his side for Saturday already: “We'll be unchanged. I don't like saying that on the Thursday before a game but they did well enough. It wasn't just the win, I thought the performance was good, so we won't be having any changes. It's nice to say that for a change.

“A settled side normally means you are winning. The performance was good the other night but equally that doesn't mean to say that things are going to fly off the other way just because we won one game. We've got to work at it to keep it going that way.”

Wimbledon replaced Town at the foot of Division One on Tuesday night but the Town manager is not taking them lightly: “Don't underestimate Stuart Murdoch and his boys. They're having a bad time and I feel for him because everything that we've had, they've had, and worse. I do feel for him.

“Wimbledon are never ideal opposition and they love bucking the trend, winning when they're not supposed to, and they've done that for a long, long time. It's a hard game believe me.”

The Dons' side is mainly made up of youngsters who Royle is aware are attracting attention of one or two bigger clubs: “We know Jobi McAnuff's dangerous and Patrick Agyemang up front is very quick. He's attracted the attention of scouts, and I know they were very keen to McAnuff through all their financial problems.

“They've got quick players, they always have quick players Wimbledon, but I say this every week, it's down to us. If we're at our best I fancy us against anyone.”

The win against Walsall has lifted confidence after a poor start to the season, however Royle says that the sides which have beaten Town are in the main the teams heading the table: “It might not have been noticed that three of our four defeats were against three of the top four sides and so might not have been quite as bad as people said they were. We've been in with a chance even at West Brom when the 4-1 was hard on us and we had our chances.

“What we've got to do is tighten up a little bit at the back and keep on passing the ball and playing it forward as we do.”

Royle will name the same 16 with his options limited by all the injuries: “There aren't many others at the moment. There's young Bloomfield who has two excellent games in the reserves, he's getting fit again. With the injuries to senior players we're down then to academy boys and they'll come in when they're ready not just because we have to put them in.”

Another graduate of the academy impressed Royle against Walsall, Ian Westlake, who came on as a late sub and almost scored: “Westy did very well. He's a superfit lad, he was a waterpolo player in his youth and is exceptionally fit.

“He could have had a couple of goals, had two good volleys, tackled and won the ball. He's another one who is saying ‘give me a chance.' And he'll get it. I'm very pleased with him.”

Wimbledon boss Stuart Murdoch, a former Ipswich headmaster, says he wants to bring back the old Crazy Gang spirit to lift his side from the bottom of the league: "In 1996, Wimbledon were bottom of the league after three games, everybody was saying they were going to get relegated from the Premiership.

"They got on a run of seven straight league wins and finished up in eighth. I'm not saying history's going to repeat itself but there's 39 games left to play. Our heads won't drop. I won't let them."

The Dons', who Town keeper Kelvin Davis left in the summer on a free transfer, haven't won since beating Crewe on the opening day of the season, losing all their other seven games in all competitions.

Saturday's referee is Andy Penn from the West Midlands who has shown 16 yellow cards and one red this season in six games. He has not previously refereed a Town game.

Town: Davis, Wilnis, Richards, Diallo, Santos, Magilton, Bart-Williams, Wright, Mahon, Armstrong, Bent. Subs: Price, Bowditch, Naylor, Westlake, Couñago.

Photo: Action Images

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