Byrne remains a doubt for Yeovil clash

CLIFF Byrne suffered a back spasm against Swindon Town on Saturday.

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ATHLETIC are sweating on the fitness of Cliff Byrne as the centre-half attempts to recover from back spasms in time for Saturday’s trip to Yeovil.

With no official word from the club on his condition, boss Paul Dickov may yet be forced to shuffle the pack.

The most likely option would be for the Scot to move marauding full-back Reece Wabara into the middle, as he did when Byrne departed the action early on against Swindon, and hand a start to Connor Brown.

It compounds a frustrating month for the ex-Scunthorpe United man (30), who only returned from a one-match ban at the beginning of December.

Goalkeeper Alex Cisak, the other casualty in the the weekend’s 2-0 defeat, is likely to recover.

But with first choice keeper Dean Bouzanis again available following suspension, Cisak may drop to the substitutes’ bench for this weekend’s trek to Somerset.

Meanwhile, Athletic’s faint hope of bringing back Matt Derbyshire from Nottingham Forest for another loan spell has faded.

Forest boss Sean O’Driscoll believes Derbyshire would be better making a temporary switch to a championship club.

O’Driscoll said: “For them to go and play a few games in the Championship will be beneficial. It will get them back in the swing of things, playing every week.

“Then we have the option to bring them back into the team if we want to.

“The loan to Oldham was just an opportunity to get him out playing some games.”



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