Eurosport - Fri, 14 Aug 17:21:00 2009
Team news ahead of the weekend's League One matches, with Leeds strikers Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio back for the trip to Wycombe.
Brentford v Brighton
Cleveland Taylor goes straight into the Brentford squad for the home clash with Brighton. The winger completed his switch from Carlisle and is in line to make his debut at Griffin Park. Goalkeeper Lewis Price and experienced striker Carl Cort will be also be added to the squad which was narrowly beaten by Bristol City in the Carling Cup. Price was on international duty with Wales and should replace Nikki Bull despite his impressive midweek display, while Cort was rested to give Steve Kabba a run-out. The Bees are still without strikers Charlie MacDonald (shoulder) and Ben Strevens (broken leg), while defender Leon Legge serves the third game of the four-match ban which has delayed his debut.
Gary Hart and Jim McNulty are Brighton`s only injury absentees. Striker Hart is still a fortnight away from returning from a toe problem, and left-back McNulty is continuing his recovery from last season`s horrific kidney injury. But boss Russell Slade has no fresh worries as he attempts to turn around his side's disappointing start to the campaign which has seen them slip to defeats by Walsall and Carling Cup opponents Swansea. Liam Dickinson shrugged off an ankle knock to face the Swans night but faces competition from fit-again forwards Glenn Murray (groin) and Craig Davies (knee). Adam El-Abd and Mark Wright are pushing for starts after coming on as half-time substitutes at the Liberty Stadium.
Colchester v Yeovil
Colchester will be without Clive Platt when they welcome Yeovil to the Community Stadium. The big striker was sent off as the Us crashed out of the Carling Cup against Leyton Orient and begins a three-match ban. Scott Vernon is the man most likely to step in to partner Kevin Lisbie in attack. Boss Paul Lambert made four changes from the side which battered Norwich 7-1 on the opening day, so goalkeeper Ben Williams, defender Marc Tierney and midfielders David Fox and Dean Hammond could all expect to come back in. Lambert is still without striker Steven Gillespie, who has yet to recover from his latest hamstring injury, while defender Paul Reid also remains sidelined following knee surgery over the summer.
Yeovil are boosted by arrival of Tottenham striker Jon Obika ahead of their League One trip to Colchester. Obika, 18, enjoyed a successful spell with the Glovers last season and has returned to Huish Park on another loan agreement. He was a second-half substitute in the 4-0 Carling Cup defeat to Norwich and will be hoping for a place in Terry Skiverton's starting line-up against United. Skiverton will be without former Ipswich striker Dean Bowditch for four months with a shoulder injury suffered after scoring in the opening day 2-0 home win over Tranmere. But the Glovers boss was able to name fit-again midfielder Kieran Murtagh (ankle) and defender Craig Alcock (groin) on the bench in the Cup and both will be hoping to play some part.
Exeter v Norwich
Exeter will be without defender Scott Golbourne for their game with Norwich at St James' Park. The full-back was sent off in the 5-0 Carling Cup defeat to Queens Park Rangers and is suspended and so the experienced Steve Tully - who came on as a substitute against Rangers - is set for a recall. Irish Striker Barry Corr is still suspended following his dismissal in the opening day 2-1 defeat at Leeds. Craig McAllister, as expected, replaced Corr in attack against QPR, while Liam Sercombe was recalled to the starting line-up in place of central midfield general Rob Edwards and both will be hoping to keep their place. Strikers Richard Logan (calf) and Adam Stansfield (knee) are both struggling, as is Ben Watson (thigh).
Norwich stand-in manager Ian Buttwerworth must make an important goalkeeping decision ahead of the League One clash at Exeter. Bryan Gunn - sacked as Canaries boss - dropped Michael Theoklitos after his nightmare in the 7-1 thrashing by Colchester last weekend and saw Tottenham loanee Ben Alnwick keep a clean sheet during the 4-0 Carling Cup win at Yeovil. Alnwick is with the Canaries for three months, while Theoklitos has signed a three-year deal at Carrow Road to present Buttwerworth with a dilemma. Elsewhere midfielder Owain Tudor-Jones comes back into contention after he missed the Yeovil win after joining up with the Wales squad for the defeat to Montenegro. Grant Holt will continue in attack after he notched a hat-trick at Huish Park while Jens Berthel Askou will look to continue in defence ahead of Michael Nelson. Rhoys Wiggins (knee), Kris Renton (foot) and Damon Lathrope (broken arm) remain sidelined.
Hartlepool v Charlton
Hartlepool director of sport Chris Turner faces a selection poser in attack for the home clash against Charlton. Adam Boyd came on as a substitute to score the winner in Pools' Carling Cup success at Coventry in midweek and is pushing for a place, as are fellow forwards Colin Larkin and James Brown who also impressed off the bench at the Ricoh Arena. Brown has now played 90 minutes of football this season following a lengthy absence with a cruciate ligament injury, but Turner is unlikely to risk him from the start just yet. Denis Behan has started both games so far and should keep his spot. Hartlepool's only absentees are Ben Clark (hernia) and Ritchie Humphreys (Achilles), with both players set for prolonged spells on the sidelines.
Christian Dailly, Miguel Llera and Frazer Richardson should all return to the Charlton line-up. The defensive trio, all summer signings at The Valley, were sidelined as the Addicks crashed out of the Carling Cup at Hereford. Dailly was not risked due to a rib injury, Llera needed 12 stitches in a head wound from the opening-day win over Wycombe and Richardson had a hip problem. The Addicks will check on midfielders Jonjo Shelvey (heel) and Lloyd Sam (knee), who also missed out in midweek. Right-back Yassin Moutaouakil has returned from a trial at Portsmouth but will not figure as he looks for another club.
Huddersfield v Southampton
Huddersfield will be without suspended midfielder Michael Collins for their opening home league game of the season. Collins received a straight red card for violent conduct after throwing the ball at Southend defender Simon Francis last Saturday, so Tom Clarke is likely to retain his place after stepping in for the midweek Carling Cup win over Stockport. Fellow midfielder Jim Goodwin is back in full training following an exploratory knee operation, but is not yet ready to return, yet his absence has been offset by the arrival of Manchester United starlet Danny Drinkwater. Manager Lee Clark has no other injury or suspension problems and must decide which of his four strikers to pair together, with Lee Novak and Jordan Rhodes vying for places up front with summer signings Theo Robinson and Robbie Simpson.
Southampton will welcome Marek Saganowski back from international duty after the Poland striker missed the night's Carling Cup win over Northampton to feature as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Greece. Boss Alan Pardew therefore has a virtually full-strength squad to choose from, with young forward Kayne McLaggon the only injury absentee as he continues his recovery from a ruptured Achilles. Rickie Lambert grabbed a debut goal against the Cobblers following his £1 million switch from Bristol Rovers earlier in the week, and he will keep his place in attack. Veteran defender Chris Perry was rested in midweek and should reclaim his place, with promising youngster Olly Lancashire likely to find himself back on the bench.
Leyton Orient v Oldham
Leyton Orient boss Geraint Williams has a welcome selection dilemma as his side look to maintain their 100 per cent start to the season against Oldham. Williams fielded Scott McGleish and Ryan Jarvis in attack during the opening-day win over Bristol Rovers, and then paired Adrian Patulea and James Scowcroft for Tuesday night's Carling Cup success at Colchester. Romanian striker Patulea, a summer signing from Lincoln, is likely to keep his place following a debut goal in midweek with the other three strikers vying for one place. Goalkeeper Glenn Morris got a run-out in the cup but Jamie Jones should return between the sticks, while Sean Thornton should also start in midfield after dropping to the bench. Midfielder Adam Chambers (back) and rookie Darryl Sydes (ankle) are the only injury absentees.
Oldham boss Dave Penney will assess the fitness of winger Chris Taylor ahead of the trip to East London. Taylor has been troubled by a niggling groin strain which flared up again in the defeat at Carlisle in the first round of the Carling Cup. Midfielder Danny Whitaker needed five stitches in his head following a collision at Brunton Park but Penney expects him to be fit to face Orient. The Latics boss was left disappointed with his side's performance against the Cumbrians and could look to make changes. On-loan Blackburn youngster Alex Marrow comes back into contention after being ineligible to face Carlisle but new signings Rob Purdie and Joe Jacobsen remain sidelined due to injury. Midfielder Purdie is recovering from a stomach injury and defender Jacobsen is currently troubled by a hernia.
Millwall v Carlisle
Millwall will add George Friend to their squad for the visit of Carlisle. The Wolves defender has arrived in South London on a one-month loan deal to ease a defensive injury crisis which has accounted for Paul Robinson, Zak Whitbread, Tony Craig, Danny Senda and Pat O`Connor. Skipper Robinson is still recovering from the metatarsal injury he suffered last term and fellow centre-half Whitbread has a hip problem. Craig is still sidelined with back trouble while O'Connor (knee) and Senda (Achilles) are long-term absentees. The Lions will check on striker Jason Price, who missed the 4-0 Carling Cup win over Bournemouth in midweek with a dead leg. Neil Harris will hope to keep his place after a sparkling hat-trick against the Cherries.
Carlisle will be without midfielder Paul Thirlwell and defender Peter Murphy with a dead leg and strained groin respectively. Teenage defender Simon Lakeland remains sidelined with a partial tear in his medial ligament and is set for a further three months out but there is better news for Jamie Cleary, who is close to resuming training after a similar injury. Experienced striker Scott Dobie will be hoping to get the nod in attack after scoring the only goal in the Carling Cup win over Oldham in midweek.
Stockport v Bristol Rovers
Stockport boss Gary Ablett is boosted by the return of Owain fon Williams for the home clash with Bristol Rovers. The highly-rated goalkeeper missed the midweek 3-1 defeat at Huddersfield in the Carling Cup because he was on international duty with Wales. Veteran goalkeeping coach Paul Gerrard donned the gloves at the Galpharm Stadium but was powerless to prevent a 3-1 defeat. Gerrard's inclusion was the only change made by Ablett from the side which claimed a creditable draw at neighbours Oldham last weekend. The return of Fon Williams for Gerrard looks set to be Ablett's only major change as the former Liverpool and Everton defender bids to guide his small squad to their first win of their League One campaign.
Bristol Rovers will once again be without Steve Elliott. The former Derby central defender missed the defeat to Leyton Orient and the Carling Cup win against Aldershot with a thigh strain. Boss Paul Trollope hopes Elliott will be fit to face Huddersfield next week, but the trip to Edgeley Park comes too soon for him. Danny Coles will return in defence after being named as a substitute against the Shots, with Trollope wary of giving him too much playing time after a lengthy lay-off with a knee injury. Summer signing Dominic Blizzard came off the bench against the Shots and the midfielder is pushing for a place in the starting line-up. Darryl Duffy will partner Jo Kuffour in attack after scoring both goals in Rovers' first game since Rickie Lambert joined Southampton. Goalkeeper Frazer Forster is available for selection after parent club Newcastle did not allow him to play against Aldershot.
Swindon v MK Dons
Swindon will hand a debut to striker Tope Obadeyi when they entertain MK Dons. Manager Danny Wilson has signed the Bolton youngster on-loan as he looks to fill the void left by Simon Cox. Wilson will be without Alan O`Brien, though. The winger picked up an ankle injury in the 5-0 defeat at Gillingham on the opening day and subsequently missed the 4-1 Carling Cup romp at stadium:mk. He will again have to watch from the sidelines as the Dons come to the County Ground looking for revenge. Centre-back Jerel Ifil completed his move to Aberdeen earlier this week and so will not be available, but there is positive news regarding Swindon's long-term absentees Hasney Aljofree (knee) and Lee Peacock (back) after the pair stepped up their rehabilitation work. Young midfielder Kurt Hammonds is also further down the road to recovery after knee surgery.
MK Dons captain Dean Lewington is hopeful of returning after he missed last weekend's 0-0 draw with Hartlepool as well as the 4-1 Carling Cup defeat at home to Swindon in midweek through illness, but he is back in training and confident of starting at the County Ground as the Dons look for instant revenge. Midfielder Stephen Gleeson is also back in contention after illness and could start as manager Paul Ince hopes for a much-improved display. However Ince is still without forwards Aaron Wilbraham (ankle) and Sam Baldock (groin) but may have Jabo Ibehre (hamstring) on the bench for the first time, while defenders Danny Swailes (Achilles) and Sean O'Hanlon (knee) are both out for the long term. Midfielder Peter Leven is close to a return from a groin strain yet will not feature while Sol Davis is fit after twisting his ankle and Jude Stirling has a groin injury.
Tranmere v Gillingham
Tranmere boss John Barnes may opt to retain defender Marlon Broomes in the starting line-up for the home clash with Gillingham. The highly-experienced centre-back, 31, was signed earlier this week on a non-contract basis following his release from Blackpool. He made his debut in the 4-0 Carling Cup first-round win over Grimsby and played 90 minutes at the heart of Rovers' defence. Gavin Gunning, the Republic of Ireland Under-19 international on loan from Blackburn, is available again after the Premier League club declined permission for him to play in the Carling Cup. However, striker Bas Savage is not expected to play until the New Year because of a ruptured Achilles tendon injury which he sustained towards the end of last season. Michael Ricketts has joined the club on a free transfer and should be included.
Gillingham manager Mark Stimson will name from an unchanged squad after thumping Swindon 5-0 in their League One opener before beating Championship side Plymouth 2-1 in the Carling Cup. Midfielder Kevin Maher overcame a dead leg to start in the win over Argyle and will compete with teenager Jack Payne for a start at Prenton Park, while Stimson must again choose between goalkeepers Alan Julian and Simon Royce after giving the latter the nod in midweek. Mark Bentley was rested in the Carling Cup and should reclaim his place from Chris Palmer, while the rest of Stimson's team picks itself after their impressive start. Midfielder Stuart Lewis and centre-back Simon King will both be out for up to three months with ruptured ankle ligaments, while forward Dennis Oli hopes to be in contention later this month after a knee injury. Striker Simeon Jackson will hope to continue his good form against John Barnes's side, having already hit four goals so far this season.
Walsall v Southend
Chris Hutchings is set to be boosted by the return of four players for Walsall`s first home match of the season against Southend. Goalkeeper Clayton Ince and midfielder Mark Bradley both missed the late 2-1 Carling Cup defeat at Accrington due to international commitments but both will return to the fold at the Banks's Stadium. Captain Mark Hughes and wide man Peter Till also missed the trip to Lancashire due to respective thigh and foot injuries, but both are expected to be fine this time around. Left-back Netan Sansara has also returned to full training following his ankle injury. Striker Alex Nicholls opened the scoring for the Saddlers at the Crown Ground having been given the nod ahead of Troy Deeney and he will certainly be hoping to keep his place. However, defender Rhys Weston will be missing as he serves a one-match suspension following his first-half dismissal at the Crown Ground.
Southend defender Adam Barrett returns after he was rested for the midweek Carling Cup win over Cheltenham as a precaution after suffering a knee injury in pre-season. Boss Steve Tilson will choose his defensive partner from Matt Heath and Jean-Yves M'Voto. Damien Scannell is out for five weeks with an ankle problem so will not be included while Francis Laurent is also missing as he struggles with an ankle complaint. United drew their opening fixture against Huddersfield last weekend, squandering a two-goal lead as they settled for a point.
Wycombe v Leeds
Wycombe midfielder Matt Bloomfield will miss the visit of Leeds after suffering serious facial injuries against Peterborough in midweek. Bloomfield suffered a broken nose and fractured cheekbone in the 4-0 Carling Cup defeat and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after surgery. Elsewhere manager Peter Taylor is set to make several changes after resting a number of players for the cup tie. Scott Shearer, Michael Duberry, Chris Zebroski and Adam Smith could all come back into the side but Taylor is still without several injured players. Former Leeds man Ian Westlake is out with a hamstring injury while Tommy Doherty is also sidelined with an ankle problem and Lewis Hunt (foot), Lewis Spence (foot) and TJ Moncur (groin) are all still injured.
Beckford and Becchio are expected to return to Leeds' starting line-up The two strikers, who scored 53 goals between them last season, were left out of the team for the Carling Cup win at Darlington. Beckford jarred a knee and Becchio sustained a knock in the opening-day win over Exeter and appeared in the second half. Mike Grella and Enoch Showunmi stepped in at the Darlington Arena, but are likely to make way. Leeds skipper Richard Naylor is still recovering from back surgery, so manager Simon Grayson is hoping Patrick Kisnorbo and Rui Marques report back fit from international duty. Kisnorbo required more stitches in a head wound sustained against Exeter after playing in Australia's friendly win over the Republic of Ireland, so Lubo Michalik and Paul Huntington are both on stand by.
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