Michael Skubala has admitted that Saturday’s goal heroes, Freddie Draper and Jovon Makama, will miss tomorrow’s game against the Codheads at Blundell Park.
City go into the game at severe risk of missing out on group stage qualification in the trophy, which would be the first time since the 2019/20 season. With the prize money on offer and local pride, it is a ‘must-win’ game in the very loosest sense of the word.
However, supporters will be eager to see Michael put his cup hoodoo to bed – in three cup ties he has managed; we’ve been beaten three times, all by lower-league opposition. Tomorrow night, City fans want to see a win.
Over the last couple of seasons, the Trophy has been a chance to see the likes of Jovon and Freddie in action, but their progression into first-team players makes that less likely. That’s not the only reason, as Michael told BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s Rob Makepeace.
“Jovan is struggling with a groin issue, so he’ll miss tomorrow,” Michael said. “We’ll see how that develops over the next couple of weeks. As for Freddie, we’re still waiting for the medical team to report on him. We’ve also got a few knocks coming in, so there are some tired legs and bodies. We need to assess all of that before tomorrow.”
One player likely to be in contention for his first start since February is Ethan Hamilton. The 25-year-old came through his cameo against Leyton Orient with no issues, and he’s one who could possibly, play a role tomorrow.
“He could be in contention to start. He got through the minutes well on Saturday, but if he starts, he won’t play the full 90. He’s still building up his match fitness. He had a few jelly legs towards the end of the game when he came on, but he’s ready. He trained well and looked sharp, but matches are always a different intensity, and you could see that over the weekend.”
Another player likely to feature is striker Rob Street. The former Shrewsbury Town striker hasn’t seen much league action this season, but as Michael explained, that isn’t down to anything he is doing wrong, per se.
“Rob has a great character and has been training really well. He’s not injured; he’s improving all the time. He came off the back of a massive injury last year and did most of his rehab on his own, so it’s important for him to get up to speed.
“He’s new here, so he’s still adjusting tactically. Ultimately, it’s been my decision not to carry so many strikers on the bench. We only have seven subs, and I want more legs on the bench, so he’s missed out due to tactical reasons rather than anything he’s done wrong in training.”
It’s also likely to be a game in which we see JJ McKiernan, which is another summer signing with limited game minutes. However, as Michael stressed, the fact we’re not seeing them now isn’t a surprise to those around the club – these are players we’ve made a long-term commitment to.
“With players like Rob and JJ, we’ve given them long contracts. They’re not here just for tomorrow or to hit the ground running immediately. We knew it would take time for them to adapt to how we play, improve, and develop. It’s a process, but I believe Rob has a bright future here as a number nine. It’s just about getting him up to speed. He’s eager to impress and pushes the lads hard every day in training, so hopefully, he’ll get his opportunity tomorrow.”
As always, it will be fascinating to see some of the fringe players stake a claim. In two such matches this season, against Harrogate and Chesterfield, we’ve perhaps not seen the best of those waiting in the wings, but with Reeco Hackett also possibly involved, competition for places is heating up, and players must put on a show when given a chance like this.
Don’t forget, the game kicks off at 7:30 tomorrow night, not the 7pm kick off time we see at the Bank.
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