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Joe Waiting on Injuries
Joe Waiting on Injuries
Thursday, 1st Dec 2005 17:11

Town boss Joe Royle admits he has no firm idea of his side for Saturday's home game with Wolves due to numerous injuries and Fabian Wilnis's suspension. Owen Garvan, Ian Westlake, Sam Parkin and Jay McEveley are all out, while Jimmy Juan, Kevin Horlock and Nicky Forster are doubts.

Forster and Horlock have knee problems and Juan has foot and calf injuries. Forster is considered the most likely to be fit.

Irish midfielder Garvan played 50 minutes of Wednesday's FA Youth Cup win at Leeds but needs another game before he returns to the first team squad. Westlake still has the foot injury he picked up in the reserves last week.

Parkin is out for three to four months with a broken ankle, while McEveley has had his loan spell at Portman Road ended after tearing a medial ligament in Tuesday's defeat at Cardiff. The Blackburn man will undergo an operation at the weekend and Town will look for a new loan left-back when the transfer window opens.

One player who won't be joining the Blues in January is Charlton's Jonatan Johansson. Royle says that the weekend newspaper link with the Finnish international was simply someone seeing him talking to Alan Curbishley during last week's reserve game at the Valley and putting two-and-two together. The Town manager added: "There are no players available for loan at Charlton, not Jonatan Johnasson, Matt Holland or anybody else."

Fabian Wilnis's appeal against his red card at Cardiff was turned down by the Disciplinary Commission earlier today and the Dutchman serves his one-match suspension this weekend.

Keeper Lewis Price is OK to play against Glenn Hoddle's side despite his finger injury and suffering a knock to his knee at Ninian Park.

Royle says the injury situation means he cannot yet settle on a line-up: "I can't even think about a side for Saturday. I have a framework in my mind but there are too many injuries for me to check.

"But I don't want to keep going on about injuries. When we had a full complement we met up with Reading twice and they're easily the best team in the division."

Better news is that Adam Proudlock is now considered fully fit after his knee injury and looks likely to start against his old club. Youngster Billy Clarke is again in Royle's plans, the Town boss having watched the Irishman score the winner for the youths at Leeds.

Royle expects Wolves to be somewhere in the mix come May: "I think they've found it hard to carry on from the wonderful run last season, but with their squad strength I would expect them to be up there at the end, at least in the play-offs."

Glenn Hoddle is without Scotland striker Kenny Miller who is one of a number of players struck by illness: "Kenny was due to come in and train with the lads on Monday but he went down with a bout of flu over the weekend.

"It's that horrible stage of the season where these things seem to go around. A couple of the other lads have got it as well. "

Hoddle has a lengthy injury list but is expecting one or two players to return soon: "Carl Cort is a few weeks away and Mark Davies is progressing quickly from his hernia operation.

"Paul Ince has been pencilled in to play for the reserves against Everton in a couple of weeks and so, all being well, they should all be ready for the Christmas period."

Full-back Mark Clyde and midfielder Rohan Ricketts are close to a first team recall after ankle injuries and played for the reserves earlier this week.

Saturday's referee is Keith Stroud from Hampshire who took control of Town's 2-1 defeat at QPR in August. Stroud has shown an extraordinary 77 yellow and three red cards in 16 games this season.


Photo: Action Images



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