BARNSLEY will assess defenders Josh Earl and Marc Roberts ahead of Saturday’s game with Leyton Orient while Fabio Jalo is more likely to play his first league fixture after a long injury on Saturday than Georgie Gent, says head coach Conor Hourihane.
Earl missed Tuesday’s game at Lincoln with illness, having been out with a back problem before that.
Hourihane said: “He is OK. He’s back in the building, we’re hoping he can train and get through the next couple of days then be in and around squad for weekend. It’s positive he’s back in.”
Roberts was back on the bench in midweek after a groin problem but did not come on. Hourihane said: “Robbo didn’t quite make it for Tuesday. We will see how he is. It helped him not coming on on Tuesday. If he can have a positive day in training he will be bang in the mix.”
Barnsley are low on left-backs at the moment as their options there are Earl, Nathanael Ogbeta – who is out for ‘a couple of weeks’ with injury – and Gent who returned after eight months out in the FA Cup on Saturday but is not ready to play again yet.
“At the minute it’s a position we’re probably struggling with. Obviously Tennai Watson had to play there on Tuesday night. He can play in many positions. We had Mael (de Gevigney) there against Stockport. It’s a position we’re filling at the minute. Nate is going to be probably a couple of weeks, Josh is back on the grass and will hopefully help us going into Saturday, and Georgie is coming back from a long injury. He had a strong performance at Peterborough but isn’t ready for Saturday, Tuesday.
“Georgie is feeling fatigue off the back of the week he had last week. He’s been out a very long time.
“He played a 21s game then a real energetic 90 minutes so he’s struggling from fatigue off the back of that. We won’t see Georgie this week but we’re hoping he’ll be on the grass next week.”
Jalo is in contention for the bench on Saturday, having played the first half against Peterborough on Saturday after seven months out with injury.
“Fabio could be involved.
“I think he’s someone I am really keen to get in the squad without pushing him too much because he’s had a really long setback. He played a 21s game on Tuesday and, if he comes through training looking strong, there’s potential for him to be on the bench.”
Captain Luca Connell is suspended after picking up five yellow cards.
Hourihane said: “Luca has been top for us. It’s just one of those things, five yellows and he’s in the thick of it all the time. The amount of games he played in the middle of the pitch, he will pick up yellows. We had Blandy (Jono Bland) out for Stockport for five yellows.
“Every team has to deal with it.”
With Connell missing, Jono Bland is likely to return to central midfield – potentially alongside Adam Phillips who has previously been a more attacking midfielder. Hourihane said: “I think he can do both roles. Phillo is a really intelligent footballer and he’s been pigeon-holed as this right eight and can’t play anywhere else at the club.
“He’s so technically good. How I see his strengths is that he can play as a ten or a six. He’s had two really good performances in the six role against Stockport and Lincoln and he’s a more all-round footballer and it’s a shame for him to just play in one position.
“He can connect the game for us in that six role and it’s something I feel will be a plus for us. On the eye, we probably only have Blandy and Luca naturally as sixes. We have plenty of midfielders – Pat (Kelly), Vim (Yoganathan), Jon Russell. Just helping the group and having someone that can fill in that role as such an intelligent footballer like Phillo helps him develop and helps the group as well.”
