Double fitness boost for Latics

Kelvin Lomax

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THREE points to the good after a solid performance against Walsall, Athletic manager Dave Penney now expects his side to finish the season well out of danger in Coca-Cola League One.

Pawel Abbott grabbed the only goal of the game at Boundary Park at the weekend to help lift Athletic to 18th in the table, two points clear of the relegation zone and with games in hand on all their near-rivals.

Despite the upcoming trio of matches in quick succession against sides pushing hard for promotion, Penney reckons his side will eventually be capable of grinding out some more important victories to ease fears over the drop.

“It is never going to be pretty now given the position we are in and it will be a battle for all the games we have got coming up,” said the Athletic boss, who today welcomes back Kelvin Lomax, out since mid-December with a groin injury, and Jon Worthington, who had an operation on a damaged ankle, to full-time training with the first-team squad.

“If we hadn’t picked up maximum points against Walsall then it would have been backs-against-the-wall time going to Colchester and Leeds and then against Norwich.

“It gives us a little bit of breathing space, I suppose. We have still got two or three games in hand over some teams, so once we start playing catch-up with them we should end up being mid-table I would think.”

A number of Athletic’s fringe players will today get the chance of some match action at Carrington.

The behind-closed-doors friendly at Manchester United has been hastily arranged as a result of Athletic having no official reserves match this week and Penney will use the game to take another look at Simon Whaley.

The former Preston and Norwich winger arrived at the club on trial last week and no decision has yet been reached over the player’s future.

Striker Lewis Alessandra continues his comeback from injury by playing for Lee Duxbury’s side and goalkeeper Josh Ollerenshaw, currently on loan at non-league Silsden but still training with Athletic, is eligible to play.

Reserves (from): Ollerenshaw, White, McKerr, Black, Trialist, Fodor, Lee, Rowney, Whaley, Colbeck, Whitaker, Marrow, Alessandra, Parker, Brooke, Eaves, Steer, Trialist.