Injuries force Coleman to shelve favoured defensive formation
CHRIS Coleman will be forced into a change of formation at Nottingham Forest with centre-back Ty Browning ruled out through injury.
The Black Cats have operated with three centre-backs in each of the last four games, keeping two clean sheets and picking up five points, until their progress came to a shuddering halt at Sheffield United on Boxing Day.
But with Browning nursing a foot problem, Lamine Kone out injured and Billy Jones – who has filled in at centre-back in the past – only just having returned to fitness, Coleman does not have the personnel to continue with the same shape.
He will revert to a back four for the trip to the City Ground, with John O’Shea partnering Marc Wilson, although he may revert to a back five when Barnsley visit Wearside on Monday.
“Ty is definitely out tomorrow,” said Coleman. “He hurt his foot at Bramall Lane and is badly swollen.
“He’s in some discomfort, but hopefully with another 48 hours rest he could be ready when Barnsley come here on Monday, but then again he might need longer.
“Over these two games, the formation may have to change.
“Sheffield United apart, this shape has served us well recently, but it may have to change because of the players we have available.”
One option which would have allowed Coleman to keep the same system would have been be to play Jones at centre-back. However he has been out of action with a knee injury since the beginning of November and was only included on the bench for the first time in the Boxing Day defeat at Sheffield United.
Coleman said: “Billy has experience but he has been out for a while and he has not had any minutes on the pitch.
“To throw him straight in at Forest would be a bit of a gamble.”
One additional problem for Coleman is managing the physical demands put on 36-year-old John O’Shea.
It remains to be seen whether he could play two games in three days against Forest and then Barnsley – a run which would make it four games in nine days overall.
Coleman said: “It is a lot of games, but when you are where we are, we need his experience.
“But it’s horses for courses at the moment. The team we go with at Forest is very unlikely to be the same team as we put out against Barnsley.”
Midfielder Didier Ndong (ankle) and top scorer Lewis Grabban (calf) were both absent on Boxing Day and are not ready to return.