OUTGOING Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane will ‘crack on’ with using players he had frozen out while full-backs Tennai Watson and Nathanael Ogbeta may have played their final games for Barnsley unless injuries require them to return to the squad.
Nigerian international midfielder Kelechi Nwakali had not played all season for the first team, with Hourihane suggesting last summer there was a discipline issue.
He has a year remaining on his contract and the head coach – who will leave at the end of the season – said he had agreed with the club’s hierarchy that he would play the likes of Nwakali and Georgie Gent who has also been left out. The pair came off the bench in Tuesday’s loss at Stevenage.
Asked after the game if the issue between himself and Nwakali had been discussed or resolved, Hourihane told the Chronicle: “No, absolutely not.
“Just crack on, three games to go and he’ll be involved. Simple as that.”
Hourihane also said it was the ‘right thing to do’ to play Nwakali and Gent and he wanted to help the club plan for the long-term.
Meanwhile, Watson and Ogbeta were not in the squad on Tuesday evening.
Left-back Ogbeta, who is on loan from Plymouth, has started just three of the last 31 league games, while right-back Watson, who signed a one-year deal last summer, was a regular until February but has started just two of the last 13.
Barnsley are understood to be focusing on playing players who will be involved next season in the final three games of the season.
Hourihane told the Chronicle: “It depends on injuries, depends on squad selection. It’s right for everyone now to look forward in terms of what’s to come on the horizon and that’s what’s been agreed between myself and the club in the discussions.
“We’ll see. We know that they’re ones on loan or out of contract, but I’m not saying that their season’s over for the last three games, because if there’s injuries then they’ll be needed.”
Veteran defender Marc Roberts is out of contract at his hometown club at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old has been back in the side in recent games and, after scoring an own goal on Saturday against Bradford, gifted Stevenage the only goal in midweek with a loose pass.
Roberts’ former Reds team-mate Hourihane told the Chronicle: “There were many average performances the other night, not just Robbo’s.
“He’ll be disappointed with that.
“But he’s definitely got more than enough to continue playing, whether it’s here or somewhere else.
“Obviously that would be a decision down to the club and to the new boss. He’s a person and a player that I admire greatly.
“He’s done terrific throughout his career and he’s still got a lot left in the tank, that’s for sure.”
