Town boss Paul Jewell says he’s weighing up whether to change his team for Saturday’s home game against Bristol City in the wake of last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion. The Blues have named an unchanged side for their last three matches.
Jewell said: "I always consider the team but I think we’ve got to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water.
"We didn’t think everything was rosy in the garden after we’d won four games, but also just because we’ve lost one game it doesn’t mean to say we’ll have to make wholesale changes. But we’ll consider everything.”
The Blues boss says he has no new injury concerns, aside from striker Nathan Ellington, who has a minor groin niggle.
The former Wigan man has played little part since joining Town on a free transfer from Watford last summer, making only three starts and 14 sub appearances, but Jewell says anyone on the fringes can suddenly find themselves involved and that they need to take their opportunity when it comes: "He’s training but he’s carrying a little bit of a groin problem. He hasn’t featured because Chops has been scoring goals and Jason’s been on the bench.
"I’m sure he’s disappointed. We’re all a bit disappointed, we expected a bit more from him. Some of it’s down to him not having a run in the team and hasn’t had a chance.
"He’s got another year of his contract to go and you only have to look at Andy Drury and Luke Hyam to see that when you think you’re out of the picture, you’ve got to keep fighting, keep working and if you get an opportunity take it.”
Centre-half Tommy Smith is due to be back in the UK on Friday morning after his gruelling three-leg return flight from New Zealand, where he played for the All Whites in their 3-2 defeat to Jamaica, and will be assessed before a decision is made on his inclusion against the Robins. Ibrahima Sonko is over his dislocated rib and would be Smith’s replacement.
Meanwhile, Bristol City will be without defender Lewin Nyatanga due to an ankle injury, which will require surgery at the end of the season. The Robins hope he’ll be back in action with the aid of pain-killing injections but not before the weekend.