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NEIL Lennon concedes it is ‘touch and go’ whether Wanderers will be able to field their strongest line-up against Derby County on the opening day of the season.
With a handful of his key players still feeling their way back to full fitness, and just two friendlies remaining, the Wanderers boss fears he will not get an opportunity to stage a full dress rehearsal for the big Championship kick-off in 12 days’ time.
Zach Clough, Emile Heskey, Mark Davies, Darren Pratley, Oscar Threlkeld and Tom Walker have all picked up minor ailments in recent weeks, which have left them unable to feature in the warm-up games.
And though Lennon insists their absence is not a major concern, it does leave some players lacking the match sharpness he would have liked.
“I’ve got an idea in my head about the side I want to play against Derby – but I might not be able to put it out there,” he told The Bolton News.
“It’s going to depend a lot on how this next 10 days goes for us. It has got to the stage where some players need some football but we’ve got two more games before the start of the season, so we’ll just have to see what we can do.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’m not unduly concerned.
“I think the majority should be fit for Charlton next week, so we’ll get a chance to get a look at some of them because they need some football.
“And the ones who have played over the last couple of weeks are in really good nick now.”
Tim Ream will come quickly back into the equation after spending the whole summer so far on international duty with the US at the Gold Cup.
But whether Lennon will risk the likes of Clough, Heskey and Davies at Port Vale tonight, or wait for the final friendly at home to Charlton on Friday, remains to be seen.
Lennon remains pleased with how his pre-season preparations have gone, and believes his players are looking sharper than they were at the end of last season.
“We’ve tried not to overload them,” he said. “There have been a lot of games and we’ve got two more before the season starts, so we’ll have to be careful.
“Dorian Dervite has played a lot, so has Stephen Dobbie, Derik Osede, so we needed to keep an eye on that. We don’t want to over-use them at the minute and want to avoid any more injuries.
“Gary Madine is ready for 90 minutes and he’s done really well the last few games now.
“I think preparations have gone as well as we could have liked. The injuries are niggles, nothing more, there is nothing serious or untoward to worry about there.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/13502922.Neil_Lennon_may_have_to_wait_to_field_his_first_choice_Wanderers_team/
With a handful of his key players still feeling their way back to full fitness, and just two friendlies remaining, the Wanderers boss fears he will not get an opportunity to stage a full dress rehearsal for the big Championship kick-off in 12 days’ time.
Zach Clough, Emile Heskey, Mark Davies, Darren Pratley, Oscar Threlkeld and Tom Walker have all picked up minor ailments in recent weeks, which have left them unable to feature in the warm-up games.
And though Lennon insists their absence is not a major concern, it does leave some players lacking the match sharpness he would have liked.
“I’ve got an idea in my head about the side I want to play against Derby – but I might not be able to put it out there,” he told The Bolton News.
“It’s going to depend a lot on how this next 10 days goes for us. It has got to the stage where some players need some football but we’ve got two more games before the start of the season, so we’ll just have to see what we can do.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, so I’m not unduly concerned.
“I think the majority should be fit for Charlton next week, so we’ll get a chance to get a look at some of them because they need some football.
“And the ones who have played over the last couple of weeks are in really good nick now.”
Tim Ream will come quickly back into the equation after spending the whole summer so far on international duty with the US at the Gold Cup.
But whether Lennon will risk the likes of Clough, Heskey and Davies at Port Vale tonight, or wait for the final friendly at home to Charlton on Friday, remains to be seen.
Lennon remains pleased with how his pre-season preparations have gone, and believes his players are looking sharper than they were at the end of last season.
“We’ve tried not to overload them,” he said. “There have been a lot of games and we’ve got two more before the season starts, so we’ll have to be careful.
“Dorian Dervite has played a lot, so has Stephen Dobbie, Derik Osede, so we needed to keep an eye on that. We don’t want to over-use them at the minute and want to avoid any more injuries.
“Gary Madine is ready for 90 minutes and he’s done really well the last few games now.
“I think preparations have gone as well as we could have liked. The injuries are niggles, nothing more, there is nothing serious or untoward to worry about there.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/13502922.Neil_Lennon_may_have_to_wait_to_field_his_first_choice_Wanderers_team/