Brian Laws will be able to call upon Steve Watson and Etienne Esajas for the game this evening, however Tommy Spurr and Peter Gilbert will be absent through injury. Lewis Buxton will take on the left-back role for the game.
It is likely that the visitors will call upon the same starting 11 from their weekend defeat to Coventry.
Simon Grayson on the other hand will have a major headache with his team selection. Danny Coid and David Vaughan are doubtful, while Daniel Nardiello and Stephen Crainey will be absent once more with their respective long-term injury woes. Mo Camara has also returned to Derby following his loan spell, so one change – Martin in at left back, possibly – is inevitable.
After shuffling his deck on Saturday for the game with league-leaders Wolves, Grayson may choose to do so once again. Jorgensen, Burgess and Barker were dropped in favour of Hendrie, Kabba and Baptiste for the weekend fixture and, in search of an elusive win, the gaffer may well decide to make more changes for this evening’s game.
Despite having not won in the last 3 games, the ‘Pool manager is adamant that this evening isn’t a must-win fixture;
Grayson told the press: ‘It’s an important match because we’ve lost three in a row. But must-win games are when you need to win the last game of the season to stay up or get promoted, so it isn’t must-win.’
Brian Laws on the other hand has called for more composure in front of goal from his players ahead of the fixture, citing that as the main reason for their 1-0 defeat at the weekend to Coventry City.
On that game, Laws told the Owls’ Official Website: ‘I think if anything we need to be a bit more composed in front of goal…We were more aggressive [against Coventry], there was better passing, the only criticism was that we didn’t put the ball in the back of the net and yet we had a fair few chances.’
He also acknowledged the threat that the Seasiders pose to his side.
‘[Blackpool] proved last year and they are proving it again this year that they may not be a team of stars but as a team they work extremely hard and put you under pressure.’
‘The stats show clearly that in the Championship they get the ball into the box as much and as quickly as anybody so we are in for an aerial battle and we have to deal with that threat as much as that they produce on the ground,’ he added.
‘On that pitch with the wind blowing through the stadium it gives you more problems going into the match and that is why the players have to be physically and mentally strong’.
The match kicks off this evening at 7.45pm.
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oh dear….yet another defeat………the bottom of the league is coming up very fast …!