Burton nurse a few towards Argyle game
ALBION TAKE NO CHANCES WITH VICTOR HAMSTRING
BURTON Albion manager Dino Maamria hopes 10-goal striker Victor Adeboyejo will be fit to start tomorrow’s game at home to League One leaders Plymouth Argyle (3pm) after nursing him through this week.
Adyboyejo was removed from the 3-3 draw against Charlton Athletic last week shortly after scoring a brilliant goal, as he was feeling a tight hamstring.
He had been a doubt with the issue before the game but still turned in a typically all-action performance.
“After he scored I asked him how he was doing and he said ‘give me five minutes’ but I didn’t really want to give him five minutes – I just wanted to take him off straightaway,” said Maaria
“We’ve rested him for the bulk of this week and, hopefully, he’ll be OK. He covers a lot of distance in games, about 11km, at high intensity.
“He works his socks off and, eventually, when you have a lot of games in a short space of time, it will affect you.”
The same careful approach has been taken with one or two other players this week, too, notably young midfielders Ciaran Gilligan – who played 80 minutes on his return from injury – and Tyler Onyango.
“I had to look after Ciaran and Tyler, too, this week,” said Maamria.
“I kept Ciaran off the grass for a couple of days.
“With Tyler, he had been out of the team for a while, then he’s come in and played four or five successive games.
“I’m always monitoring the load of the players, to look at what they’ve done over a few months and try to adjust accordingly to try to get them better and fitter rather than them breaking down.
“It’s Saturday when they have to be on the money.”
Defenders Adrian Mariappa (glute) and John Brayford (calf ) were out last week and remain doubtful but Sam Winnall returned from a niggle and came off the bench against Charlton, as did Mustapha Carayol right at the end – but the veteran winger has trained all week and he and Winnall should be available.
Midfielder Calum Butcher last appeared in the 4-2 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday but picked up a knee injury in training two days later and is also unavailable.