Town appear set to be without Emyr Huws, Teddy Bishop and recent signing Josh Earl for Saturday’s home game against Peterborough United.

Earl, who joined on loan from Preston earlier this month, was missing from the 18 at Rotherham on Tuesday having suffered a knock to his cheekbone in training.

“He’s still struggling with injury,” Lambert said when asked about the centre-half or left-back. “He’s doing okay, but I think this one will still be too early for him.”

He added: “He got a knock on his cheekbone, so we have to wait and see what the scan says on it.”

Lambert says he’s unsure whether it might be a break but in any case doesn’t believe Earl will be sidelined for a long spell.

“I don’t think Josh will be long term,” he said “If Josh was sitting out for six or seven weeks, then [the question of whether there is enough cover in the squad] would have raised its head, but we’re told it’s not going to be that length of time.”

The 21-year-old remains with the Blues rather than having returned to Deepdale and Lambert has been impressed with the defender, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Bolton.

“No, he’s okay that way,” Lambert said when asked if Earl had returned to Lancashire. “He’s been really good since he’s come in, Josh, he really has. It was just an unfortunate accident which happened to him.”

Midfielder Huws limped off at the New York Stadium with an ankle problem which Lambert admits is something of a worry.

“There’s a cause with concern with it,” he said. “But it’s a knock really, so we have to see how he is this morning with it.”

What level of concern? A couple of weeks out or longer term? “I don’t know, I need to wait and see how he is this morning.”

Lambert was at pains to point out the problem has nothing to do with the injury which sidelined Huws for the best part of two years.

“Emyr’s totally fine with his knee,” he said. “It was a whack on his ankle that’s given us a little bit of concern, so we’ll see how he is.”

Teddy Bishop has started to appear regularly from the bench in recent weeks having missed the first half of the season with a knee injury but the midfielder has suffered what appears to be a minor setback.

“He’s done great,” Lambert said. “He’s got a little knock at the minute so we’ll need to see how he is. The big thing for Bishop is that he has to start to play games.

“It’s OK talking about being a great player, a good player, he knows himself he’s got to play games and it’s frustrating for him because it’s always stop-start.

“But when he’s actually been on the pitch for us he’s done really well. But 20 minutes here and there, 30 minutes here and there, it’s not enough, we need him to be totally fit in games.

“He’s just got a little problem with his knee, it’s not too bad but we need to see how he is.”

Lambert says that as is the case with Huws, the Blues won’t be taking any risks with the 23-year-old: “No, we can’t.”

Having named the same team for three successive matches for the first time this season, Lambert was asked whether he might consider changes, aside from any forced by injury.

“I might rotate it,” he laughed. “I might make ten or nine changes! Listen, the team has been going really well. We lose a game and it’s no problem we lose a game.

“The team’s going really well, so I’m not going to let one defeat blight anything at all because the way we’ve been playing and the dominance we’ve had [in recent matches].

“It wasn’t just one guy who was off his game on Tuesday night, all of us fell below par which happens in certain games. But I’m not going to sit here and say it was a major disaster, you lose a game and that’s what happens.”

He added: “They’ve been on a really good run and there’s no need for me [to make changes], barring injury, and we’ll see how everybody is this morning. But we go, and we go and try and win another game.”

Photo: TWTD

TimmyH added 12:06 - Jan 31 Hello the regulars on the physio's bench are back again...BIG game tomorrow.
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MaySixth added 12:11 - Jan 31 FFS
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algarvefan added 12:48 - Jan 31 I really fear for Teddy, gutted he is such a good player and what we are missing at the moment. Fingers crossed it's nothing to worry about.
3

r2d2 added 12:56 - Jan 31 Here we go again. Same old ones back with the physio. And only we can sign a loanee who then promptly gets injured in training. They are a bunch of light weights. Time to get rid. They bring nothing to the team, they hardly ever play.
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LondonTractor added 13:19 - Jan 31 There's a shock, Bishop is injured. Feel sorry for him, but you do wonder if his career is ever going to start. Still, no-one is going to buy him, so I guess we have to stick with it.
3

BlueNomad added 13:29 - Jan 31 Lambert says they are knocks. That is not the same as a fundamental, long term injury.
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midastouch added 15:36 - Jan 31 Dobra calling!
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therein61 added 16:02 - Jan 31 Midfield injuries!! I fear the worst mr negative will be back
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Bluespeed added 16:05 - Jan 31 Obviously got a rollicking On Tuesday night , “ah well I'm off to the physio “ man up for goodness sake!
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Marinersnose added 16:09 - Jan 31 I feel Huws has played a huge role in improving the intensity at which the team has played in the last two home games. Dare I suggest Rotherham was a blip. If Huws and Bishop are out then Skuse will return and he slows the game down. I rate Skuse but he doesn't play quick pressing football. Hopefully PL is playing mind games but if he isn't we could really struggle against Posh. I hope I'm wrong but they play quick attacking football. COYB

1

Cloddyseedbed added 17:11 - Jan 31 Just the same ole, same ole isn't it. Season after season. Injury worries or concerns, being too lightweight and not up for a fight to win a game. We are in a good place in the league but again we are told no money to strengthen. This squad is not strong enough to finish top 2 and sure as hell if we do by a miracle get into playoffs, we will be blown away by clubs with a greater desire. End of season, best players to go and the wheel continues to turn downhill. Next season we start with a weaker team and so on. Ring any bells?

1

midastouch added 18:07 - Jan 31 Teddy Bishop has played less than 50 league games for us over the last 5 seasons, 49 to be precise. And I'm sure several of those would of been him coming off from the bench given his injury woes. He's not scored a goal for our first team in the last 5 seasons either. I think he's scored just 1 goal in all competitions in 89 games I think for the first team. So Teddy gets 1 goal every 89 appearances at his current rate! Cole Skuse can outdo Teddy there though, he's scored 2 goals in 268 appearances for Town so that's 1 goal scored for ever 134 appearances at his current rate!

1

Cloddyseedbed added 18:41 - Jan 31 Sheff Utd will sign Bishop on a free at the end of the season and next season he'll have no injury problems!
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:12 - Feb 1 no surprises here, when everyone was saying we will be ok when they return from injury I said these players cant be relied on , skills undoubtedly, but cant stay fit. I Never cease to be amazed by our ability to take on players that are physical liabilities .
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Linkboy13 added 11:31 - Feb 1 Enoughs enough there's too many players at the club who are either always injured or not good enough been kicking around for years we need to get rid of . The number of negatives on hear doesn't bother me one bit ive supported the club for over fifty years and seen it slowly go downhill .
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Razor added 11:56 - Feb 1 Same same old
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Linkboy13 added 19:41 - Feb 1 Yes cloddyseedbed and Barcelona will sign Dozzell and become the new Messi .Im not joking there's people on here who believe this.
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