Boss Joe Royle is weighing-up whether to rest striker Darren Bent for the home game with Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Bent is without a goal in six matches and was replaced at half-time during Town's 1-0 defeat at Wigan.

Royle said: "There is a decision to be made with Darren. His goals have been a big plus for us and have helped to get us where we are. He is going to be a terrific player one day but he is currently experiencing the sort of spell that all young players go through.

"It is a confidence crisis but it is nothing new and he's not the only one - and our problems are certainly not all down to Darren.

"It's no big deal - it's football and all strikers have lean spells. We will have to decide what is best for the team, which is what matters most. It's a question of whether Darren feels he is strong enough to play his way through it."

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