Forte’s fitness fight

Jonathan Forte: could be out of the next game

JONATHAN Forte is struggling to be fit for the trip to Gillingham.

Athletic’s 13-goal top scorer missed the Fleetwood victory with a groin strain and is rated as having only a small chance of returning to the line-up at Priestfield.


After a night’s rest with postponement of the Rochdale game, boss Lee Johnson could opt to reprise the hard-working partnership of Dominic Poleon and Amari Morgan-Smith up front.

Johnson continues to work on bringing in squad reinforcements ahead of the Gillingham game.

“We have a list of quality players,” said Johnson. “We are advanced with a few, but there are certain elements at play that mean you can never be sure how it will play out.”

Johnson doesn’t believe anyone will be leaving the club: “There have been a couple of tentative calls, but there isn’t anything I feel will happen.”

In last year’s transfer window, Athletic lost defender James Tarkowski to Brentford and striker Adam Rooney to Aberdeen.

Turning down what Johnson described as a “massive” bid for Korey Smith (who has since joined Bristol City), £20,000 was paid for Rhys Turner.

James Wilson and Adam Lockwood were bought in on permanent deals, and David Worrall, John Paul Kissock and Gary Harkins joined on loan.