Boss Paul Jewell is using the international break to work on the fitness of a number of players, amongst them summer signing Elliott Hewitt, who has spent the season so far getting over the hip impingement operations he underwent while still with former club Macclesfield. Jewell says recent loan signings Richie Wellens, DJ Campbell and Bilel Mohsni will also be amongst those being given a “mini pre-season”.
"The two-week break, sometimes it comes at a good time, sometimes it comes at a bad time. It’s come, so we have to deal with it,” Jewell said.
"It gives us an opportunity to get some fitness work into one or two people that we [have brought in] and players already here with a view to being ready for the next game against Hull.
"Elliott Hewitt is one that we might be able to hammer on the training ground as far as getting fit is concerned.
"Cormac Burke’s been out with an injury, so there are one or two players who haven’t played a lot of football that are on the periphery, who can get a bit of a mini pre-season into them.”
The Town boss says that once fit 18-year-old right-back Hewitt has a big task ahead of him to win a place in the first team and is unlikely to be a regular this season: "He’s got to get past Carlos Edwards!
"He’s had two hips operated on, which is taking its time and he’s picked up little niggles, which you'd expect.
"He’s one for the future. Whatever we get out of him this season will be a bonus. Next season, he’ll come on even more. I’ve bought players that, hopefully, are going to be here for a long time.”
Jewell says that at the moment Hewitt, who played two 45-minutes for the U21s before picking up a minor thigh problem, faces a fight even for a role amongst the subs with the more versatile Jack Ainsley covering for Edwards amongst others: "Jack Ainsley’s come in and earned his place because he can play a number of positions.
"Elliott is a right-back, he can play midfield as well, but he’s mainly an athletic right-back that’s only played 10 games for Macclesfield Town. We feel he’s got huge potential to go on and be a really good player for us.
"He wasn’t really bought with this season in mind. Whatever happens this season will be a bonus, an education for him - coming here and seeing how it works here.”
However, the Town boss isn’t entirely ruling out the Welsh U21 international getting an earlier chance, particularly if injuries strike: "I might be talking in two weeks’ time and he’s come through as Carlos has picked up a knock and he’s going to play, I don’t know. But he’s one we’ve bought with the future in mind.”