Dickov’s faith

KIERAN LEE: the Athletic defender is set to revert to his familiar role at right-back.

ATHLETIC will aim to sail through troubled waters without inflicting further damage on an injury-hit squad tonight.

For the game at Walsall respective knee problems for Zander Diamond and winger Filipe Morais mean both men are rated as only 50-50 shots to take to the field.

Add Paul Black (groin), Dean Furman (knee), Josh Parker (knee) and Bradley Diallo (suspended) to the mix and it is clear that manager Paul Dickov has some round holes to fill with square pegs.

To solve the left-back vacancy against Stevenage, Kieran Lee switched to that role. But Nathan Clarke, starting on the other side in Lee’s place, didn’t look completely comfortable before reverting to a starring role in the centre in a second-half reshuffle.

Carl Winchester moved from right midfield to right-back after the break but had a difficult time of it throughout against Graham Westley’s men. A full 90 minutes earlier in the week for Northern Ireland under-21s may not have aided his cause.

With that heavy workload in mind, Winchester could be rested, with Lee reverting to right-back and David Mellor stepping in to operate on the other side.

Whatever the solution, Dickov indicated he believes it is not worth entering the loan market to solve a left-back poser which should right itself soon.

“Bradley will be back after Saturday so do we go out and get a left-back for a month or two with that in mind?” he said.

“Josh and Dean are still another four to six weeks away, Josh possibly longer.

“But I believe we will be strong enough to deal with it.”

Robbie Simpson could be set for his first start for the club, most likely on the right of midfield.

And the former Coventry man, on loan to Athletic from Huddersfield, hopes to get a chance to impress in the Midlands.

“I thought I did okay in the second half against Stevenage,” said Simpson, who will be up against former Huddersfield team-mate Andy Butler tonight.

“I am sure I will get better and better when I get used to the team’s style of play and the players around me.”

Meanwhile, Walsall are without Claude Gnakpa (hamstring) and Alex Nicholls is set for a recall in his place.

Goalkeeper Jimmy Walker should be back on the substitutes’ bench at the Bescot Stadium.

Athletic (probable, 4-4-2): Cisak; Winchester, Clarke, Mvoto, Lee; Simpson, Wesolowski, Adeyemi, Taylor; Reid, Kuqi.