Tough choices for Sheridan

CHRIS TAYLOR: Back in contention for Athletic.

JOHN SHERIDAN admits he has difficult choices to make in his team selection for tomorrow’s Coca-Cola League One fixture at Yeovil.

The Athletic manager must decide, for starters, whether to recall goalkeeper Greg Fleming and winger Chris Taylor after the regulars were suspended for last Saturday’s home victory against Northampton Town.

“I have some tough decisions to make as I don’t like leaving players out. It is one of the hardest parts of the job and I wish I could play everybody,” declared Sheridan.

And if the pair return, which is likely, Sheridan must decide which players will lose their places to accommodate them and also what system to play.

Last weekend Athletic handed debuts to goalkeeper Jan Budtz and defender Seb Hines, abandoning the usual 4-4-2 in favour of 4–3–1–2 with Dean Windass operating behind the front two of Lee Hughes and Deane Smalley.

The Athletic manager said: “As Chris Taylor was suspended, I had to look at something different to give us more opportunities attacking wise.

“I thought it worked well as we created a lot of chances. Smalley was a threat up front with his pace alongside Hughes.

“Teams play different formations and I know 4-4-2 is tried and trusted, and I think we are best at that. But sometimes you can throw something in and luckily for us it came off.”

Sheridan admitted it has been a great week because, apart from defeating Northampton, other results last weekend and in midweek have gone in their favour.

But the Athletic manager added it is important to concentrate on their own game and not be distracted by how others perform.

ATHLETIC (from): Fleming, Budtz, Hines, Eardley, Lomax, Golbourne, Hazell, Gregan, Stam, Smalley, Liddell, Lee, Maher, Allott, Whitaker, Taylor, Hughes, Windass, Alessandra.

Yeovil’s new player-manager Terry Skiverton is likely to have a watching brief for his first match in charge as he is struggling with the injury which ruled him out of the 3-0 midweek defeat at Bristol Rovers.

Former Athletic player Terrell Forbes is again set to deputise.

YEOVIL (from): Wagenaar, Alcock, Brown, Forbes, Smith, MacDonald, Peltier, Worthington, Welsh, Warne, Prijovic, Murtagh, Jones, Tomlin, Rodgers, Street, Schofield.

Injury-plagued Latics striker Matty Wolfenden has seen a specialist over a troublesome thigh strain.

Scar tissue is the cause of the problem and he is to have two multi-vitamin injections which ought to clear it. If that fails, he will have the muscle stretched under anaesthetic.