Latics hoping for Gregan all-clear

Sean Gregan: Took a couple of knocks.

SEAN Gregan is expected to boost Athletic by winning his battle to be fit for tonight’s clash at Huddersfield Town (7.45pm kick-off).

The captain suffered separate injuries in the vital 1-0 home win over Gillingham on Saturday and twice needed on-field treatment.

Gregan, along with his central defensive partner Reuben Hazell, was given a stiff workout by strong Gills front two Chris Dickson and Rene Howe but boss Dave Penney reckons he will be fine for the short trip to the Galpharm Stadium tonight.

“Sean’s shin and knee are sore,” said Penney. “But he is a warrior. He will get iced up and he will be ready to face Huddersfield.”

Fitness aside, Gregan will have an enforced spell out of the side if he picks up a yellow card in either tonight’s game or Saturday’s home match against Bristol Rovers.

The 36-year-old received his ninth booking of the season against Gillingham and will serve a two-game ban if he is cautioned before the Football League’s cut-off date of the second Sunday in April.

As for Penney, the Athletic manager brushed off the issue when asked if he had endured a difficult week amid a supposed fans’ protest and calls for his head in the lead-up to the Gillingham game.

“How has it been tough?” he said. “It is the first I have heard of it. That is the beauty of living in Yorkshire - you don’t see the press.

“It has been a normal week. We were disappointed with the result we got on Tuesday against Brentford and knew that we had made silly mistakes for the three goals we conceded.

“Other than that we had a decent tempo and I think played better (than against Gillingham). But we were resolute, worked our socks off, got our goal and hung on. “

Penney also made an appeal for the club to stick together as a whole in the bid to avoid relegation to Coca-Cola League Two.

“We have been to two or three grounds now at teams who are in and around us and at those sides everyone is together,” he added.

“That is, the players, the coaching staff and the supporters.”

Dean Furman comes back into the mix tonight after serving his two-match suspension but it remains to be seen whether goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan — who was absent through illness on Saturday — recovers in time to play.

On-loan Huddersfield man Jim Goodwin is ineligible.