Lincoln City travel to Bloomfield Road on Saturday afternoon to face Blackpool in what promises to be a tough League One encounter.
Blackpool boss Ian Evatt has provided updates on several players as he prepares his squad for the visit of the Imps.
One key absence remains striker Niall Ennis, who continues to work his way back from an Achilles problem that has kept him out since September. Evatt could not give a definitive return date for the 26-year-old forward, who has scored three goals in six appearances this season but has been sidelined with the injury for several months.
For Lincoln, this represents a potential boost, as Ennis has been a consistent threat in Blackpool’s attack when fit. His absence gives the Imps’ defence one less experienced forward to worry about, although Blackpool still possess plenty of quality in forward positions.
The 26-year-old has also scored against City before, for Doncaster Rovers back at the start of the 2019/20 season. Since then, he’s played Championship football for Stoke and Blackburn, and would be a real threat.
Meanwhile, fellow attacking summer signing Dale Taylor (once a rumoured Imps target) has resumed training after a spell on the treatment table, and Evatt says he will have to assess whether the former Nottingham Forest winger is ready for Saturday’s game.
Blackpool have also seen a handful of other players return recently, including James Husband (sent off against the Imps in the past), Danny Imray, Josh Bowler (we were linked with him in 2020/21) and Albie Morgan.
“It’s slightly complex, because a lot of the players just need recovery time in between these games,” added Evatt, who took over from Steve Bruce earlier in the season.
“Dale needs more than that, so we’re doing lots of individual development and learning with him to get him up to speed as quickly as we can.
“I’m very trusting of my staff, they are experts in their field so I have to listen to that. I trust them.
“This is a team sport. It’s not just the squad in terms of team selection but the staff as well.”
For the Imps, the challenge will be to cope with a Blackpool squad that is gaining greater depth and physical presence as the season heads into winter. They thrashed Rotherham 3-0 at the New York Stadium in midweek, and have seen an uptick in performances since the former Barrow boss took control.
Our own injury list runs to four – Adam Jackson and Oscar Thorn both underwent surgery recently and are on the recovery road, while James Collins and Ben House are more recent absences.
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