The Imps prepare to take on Shrewsbury tomorrow night, with a number of players slowly coming back from injury.
We’ve seen Jorge Grant start his first game since Plymouth, and both Liam Bridcutt and Tom Hopper get on the field this weekend too. Others, such as Joe Walsh and Adam Jackson are still out, but it seems we are not far from getting to full strength. How match fit are the players though, and who are we likely to see back? I know many of you are enjoying the Fan Hub app, so this guide might help you with your team prediction.
Listening to press conferences and post-match interviews, this is the current state of play.
Jorge Grant
I suppose, to all intents and purposes, Grant shouldn’t be included on here. After all, he got 60 minutes against Hull and a late run out against Burton, which indicates he’s back, right?
Yes, I guess it does, but I think we need to be careful. We have seen with Bridcutt and Walsh this year alone that hurrying back can lead to another problem, connected or otherwise. Personally, I would have no problem with Grant either starting on the bench, or getting another hour tomorrow. Personally, I don’t expect him to play the full 90 minutes because if we do get in the top six, we need 180 minutes (or maybe 270) of Grant on top form. The best way to do that is to drip feed the FIFA Team of the Year star into the starting XI.
Chances v Shrewsbury of:
90 Minutes – 50%
A Start – 100%
The Bench – 100%
Liam Bridcutt
I’ve called Bridcutt’s absence as a key reason we have struggled since New Year, when he is out we looked much more fragile. In recent weeks, we have found a way to cope, but that doesn’t mean him coming back isn’t huge, because it is. He got some time on the field this weekend against Hull, and could start tomorrow night.
Michael was asked about Liam Bridcutt and Tom Hopper as a pair with regards to tomorrow’s game, and replied: “If they did start, like Jorge, they wouldn’t be able to finish the game. We’re in constant dialogue with the medical team. We’re very conscious of making sure we’ve got them for an absolute minimum of four games, hopefully, seven.”
I expect Bridcutt to be on the bench – if Bramall drops in at left-back, which he could, then Edun, McGrandles and Johnson would make up the midfield and give the skipper chance to get 20 minutes at the end of the game. again, we have to have an eye on the end game.
Chances v Shrewsbury of:
90 Minutes – 0%
A Start – 50%
The Bench – 100%
Tom Hopper
Whilst Michael spoke about Tom and Liam in the same breath, I can see the two being separated this weekend. When asked about them starting he said “They could. Whether that’s the sensible thing to do, I’ll make that call over the next 48 hours,” and that for me gives Tom a chance. With the skipper, I think we can cover his absence, but having only Callum Morton as a central striker means we need Tom back quicker. 60 minutes would be just right, and it would give young Callum a rest after a few bruising encounters. Don’t be surprised if Tom starts.
Chances v Shrewsbury of:
90 Minutes – 0%
A Start – 50%
The Bench – 100%
Joe Walsh
I’m worried Joe Walsh might be made of glass, he’s suffered terribly this season with injuries and got just a game and a bit under his belt before his latest absence. When asked if either he or Adam Jackson were close, Michael replied: How close? I’m not too sure. They won’t be available for Tuesday (Shrewsbury). There’s an outside chance for Saturday but the last two games is more realistic.”
That means we won’t expect to see Joe Walsh tomorrow, but I wouldn’t rule out an appearance on the bench. Michael does have a habit of dropping a surprise, and that would be a bit of a shock. He’s close though, hopefully here in time for any possible play-off matches.
Chances v Shrewsbury of:
90 Minutes – 0%
A Start – 0%
The Bench – 25%
Adam Jackson
There seems to be little chance of getting Adam Jackson back on the pitch, and I wonder if we might have seen the last of him this season. Michael has spoken about Walsh getting fit, and refers to Jackson as being ‘beyond that’. He won’t be in the squad tomorrow or Saturday, and I guess we’ll have to wait and see if he makes the games after that.
Chances v Shrewsbury of:
90 Minutes – 0%
A Start – 0%
The Bench – 0%
Theo Archibald
Theo is an interesting one. Because he isn’t a first-team regular, few have noticed his absence. I have, but only to a point where I see him missing on MDL and have a brief off-air chat with Sam about it. I still think there’s a top player in there, a player who has been set back a bit this season. He started behind the others and has taken a few little knocks which have kept him out. Most recently, he showed Covid symptoms but a negative test, and hasn’t been training since the Oxford game. He only returned on Thursday, which means he could be on the bench tomorrow, but with Rogers, Scully, Anderson and Johnson all fit, he’s not going to get a first league start for the Imps.
Chances v Shrewsbury of:
90 Minutes – 0%
A Start – 0%
The Bench – 25%
You must be logged in to post a comment.