Titus Bramble may well make his first appearance of the season in Saturday's ultra-crucial game between Town and Charlton at the Valley. With John McGreal out for the season, Mark Venus suffering with an ankle injury and now Manu Thetis having a back problem, the eighteen-year old, plagued himself with injury this season might find a place in the line-up. George Burley will want to keep playing the 5-3-2 formation which saw Town back to winning ways rather than go back to the 4-4-2 which has rarely worked for the Blues this season. Other possibilities for the third centre-half joining Tony Mowbray and Wayne Brown are Matt Holland, who might find himself dropped back from midfield or Fabian Wilnis. Holland moved into the defence when Thetis went off on Tuesday and has played there before both for Town and Bournemouth. Fabian Wilnis might find himself moved inside from right-back despite a patchy performance against Palace. Gary Croft would then get a recall. Up front Marcus Stewart may well be fit for Saturday which would allow James Scowcroft to take Holland's place in the midfield. Jermaine Wright might find himself starting if Scowcroft remains in the attack.
Town's reserves beat Portsmouth's second string last night 2-1. The Town scorers were Adam Miller and Lee O'Neill. The game saw Marco Holster play his last match in a Town shirt before he moves to Go Ahead Eagles on Monday. Town side: Pullen, Kennedy, Artun (O'Neill 46), Bramble, J Miller, Moffat, J Wright, Maurel, A Miller, Niven and Holster.
Town have invested in a new team coach. The £200,000 vehicle was built to Town;s own specifications by the Dutch complany BOVA. Predictably there have been plenty of football coach/vehicular-type coach jokes flying about with David Sheepshanks the worst offender when he announced: "With two League games to play we have a new Dutch coach which we hope will drive us into the Premiership". Very droll.
Town's Academy U17s are off to Italy tomorrow to compete in an international tournament in Modena.