Johnson spoilt for choice over team selection

ATHLETIC forward Jonathan Forte could be rested for tomorrow’s visit of Crawley.

ATHLETIC manager Lee Johnson is poring over a host of selection options as he bids to outgun a reeling Crawley outfit — the goal being to climb into the top four of Sky Bet League One.

Tomorrow’s opponents at SportsDirect.com Park have put five players on the transfer list, including captain Josh Simpson.

Already without suspended top scorer Izale McLeod, loan signings were expected to be confirmed today as under fire manager John Gregory reshapes his squad after winning once in seven games.

In contrast Johnson has enough talent at his disposal to consider resting top scorer Jonathan Forte.

“It’s a possibility,” said the manager, when asked about giving Forte a break ahead of a vital period of matches.

“He hasn’t been great in the last two games but he has trained well and his knee is good, so the dilemma is whether to give him a rest or keep playing him.”

Carl Winchester is with Northern Ireland’s squad in Romania tonight, but if he doesn’t feature in the game, Johnson is not ruling out using him against the 15th-placed Red Devils tomorrow.

Only the unavailable Genseric Kusunga and Amari Morgan-Smith are definitely out, at the

beginning of a period featuring games against Sheffield United and Rochdale and cup ties against Preston and Weston-super-Mare or Doncaster.

“The beauty of it is I could probably pick a second team at the moment and still compete. We are heading into this big period at nigh-on full strength.”