Coventry City travel to Crystal Palace tonight still without seven first team players and possibly also without two midfielders, one of whom could be captain Sammy Clingan.
Yesterday the City manager Andy Thorn said he could be without two of his midfielders for tonight's game, but he did not reveal the names of the two players.
However as Sammy Clingan received treatment on the field for an ankle knock and he could be one of the doubtful players and his presence is vital to an already threadbare squad.
Thorn is already without the services of Carl Baker, who is still serving a three match ban for his red card on the opening day of the season and fellow midfielder Gary Deegan who is still recovering from a thigh strain.
Strikers Freddy Eastwood and Clive Platt and defenders Ben Turner, Jordan Clarke and Richard Wood are all still missing through injury and so may the other un-named midfielder which will leave Thorn with a selection headache.
Thorn rated both midfielders chances of playing at 50-50 when he spoke to the press yesterday.
Thorn tried to be positive and to put a brave face on his ever lengthening injury list and said to the CT: “We picked up some knocks on Saturday and we’ve got a couple who could be struggling."
“It’s not exactly what you want three games into the season but the lads were bright and buzzing in training and we’re all looking forward to the game. All you can ask of anybody is that they play to the best of their ability and that’s what the boys gave me on Saturday."
“We improved between Leicester and Birmingham so we’ll try to take another step up at Palace and get what we deserve, a few points on the board. If you’re playing awful you can’t see light at the end of the tunnel but when you’ve got positives to work on it’s a lot more encouraging."
"It’s been disappointing but not disastrous, we haven’t been turned over by two of the better teams in the league, and if we keep playing the way we are, keep giving it everything, we’ll be fine.”
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/SB