Hazell facing fitness fight

Latics captain is doubt for away test
ATHLETIC captain Reuben Hazell is struggling to be fit for the journey south to Yeovil.

The 31-year-old, one of 13 senior players out of contract in the summer (see Page 42), picked up a knee injury during the draw with Charlton and has yet to resume training.

While Hazell’s absence would be a blow for manager Paul Dickov — he has been part of a defence which boasts three consecutive clean sheets — it could provide a perfect chance to give more game-time to James Tarkowski.

The 18-year-old centre-back has moved ahead of both Andy Todd and Neal Trotman in the pecking order at the heart of the back line recently and was this week offered his first professional contract.

Ritchie Jones, Cedric Evina and Aidan White have also been having treatment with physio Marc Czuczman.

That trio are expected to be fit to play at Yeovil, having resumed training, as is midfield man Jason Lowe, who missed the Charlton game after turning an ankle at Notts County.

But Filipe Morais is again set to miss out.

The winger is struggling to get past the painful knock to the hip he took in the first half at Meadow Lane two weeks ago.




ATHLETIC’S fringe men did little to enhance their prospects of turning out for the first team at Yeovil.

Away at Macclesfield in a totesport.com League clash, Lee Duxbury’s reserve side were hammered 5-1.

“The senior professionals in the team were poor and from my point of view, that was most disappointing,” said Duxbury, who had Todd, Trotman, Kirk Millar, and Warren Feeney in his starting line-up.

Macclesfield, who were two goals to the good at half-time thanks to strikes from Vinny Mukendi and Greg Daniels, scored three more after the break through Adam Roberts, Jordan Trinci-Lyne and Daniels, with Millar’s excellent free-kick late on providing the consolation.