Boss Paul Jewell appeared weary of talking about striker Michael Chopra’s off-field issues at yesterday’s pre-match press conference. Chopra, who spent three weeks in the Sporting Chance Clinic earlier in the season, is expected to give evidence during the ongoing drugs trial in Newcastle.
Jewell says he’d rather be talking about the 27-year-old scoring goals: "I think we’ve been down this route of talking about Michael’s problems this year. He’s trying to sort himself out, we’re trying to help him but it’s going to be a long and rocky road.
"Where there are pitfalls, we’re there to try and help him and be better off the pitch with his problems and try and forget about everything and score goals. That’s all we want for him, that’s why we brought him here.
"We’ve got a game on Saturday and I’m spending too much time talking about Michael Chopra’s gambling, so I’d rather talk about him scoring goals than his off the field antics.”
The Blues boss says Chopra, who was at the court in Newcastle on Tuesday and is expected to give evidence in the near future, chief executive Simon Clegg having already done so by video link, has had a difficult campaign so far, despite netting his seventh goal of the season at Barnsley last week: "It’s been a bit of a traumatic season for him so far.
"In training he’s been OK and all I’m interested in is what’s goes on on the pitch. Obviously, what goes on off the pitch, I can’t control that.”
Jewell says that unlike a lot of other people in similar situations, the former Sunderland and Newcastle man is facing up to his demons: "We’re all human beings and we all have issues that we have to get over, none of us are perfect.
"All I’m trying to do is get Michael concentrating on his football and at the same time trying to help him get over his problems.
"He might not be the only guy in our dressing room and there will be people up and down the country with issues, and there are some people who are facing up to their problems and trying to do something about them, and Chops is one of them.”