Injuries hit Hatters hard ahead of Mariners test

Versatile Jake Howells is fit after coming off at the weekend with blurred vision, but boss Paul Buckle was left to lament some more bad news at this morning’s press conference.

He said: “We have had a good week on the training field but it’s not without it’s trouble.

“I have to admit that the team will probably change again. It will probably be enforced and I’m a little bit reluctant to give the game away now with the game being tomorrow with our opponents knowing who might be missing.

“So it will probably be changed again which is a frustration for me and the staff this morning because it’s something that’s been thrown on us from yesterday’s training.

“But that’s life and we’ll get on with it. We’re still looking forward to it and after you guys leave we’ve got a busy morning ahead of us.”

Buckle was tight-lipped on who the latest casualty was and admitted it had thrown a spanner in the works.

He continued: “This is management, this is football clubs and football teams, this is what happens, I know that. But it doesn’t take away the frustration I think, especially today, the day before a game the physio walks in and says we’ve got a problem, then that’s hard to take because we are trying to get continuity. We’ve worked this week on different stuff, we’ve worked very hard, and then when someone’s going to be missing it makes it difficult.

“We’ll get over it this morning. We’ll get up and at it and whoever comes in, the one or two that come in, it’s an opportunity for them.”

But it does mean there is a big chance for whoever steps in to fill the breach.

The Town chief added: “That’s the key. The thing is the players that are not playing, they are the most important people at the club because they are the next ones in.

“I don’t want to sound like I’m moaning, there certainly haven’t been any moans this season, we just really want to try and get a settled team and at the moment it’s proving difficult.

“It is a frustration, it’s tough to work with, but when somebody comes out there’s always an opportunity for somebody else, so that is a plus and is something we will have to work on this morning because I’ve never liked going into the games not organised or ready and it’s important if somebody is changing a position, or we have to make changes, that they understand their role and what we are going to be doing.”