I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE FOR JURGEN, SAYS GAZ
WYCOMBE boss Gareth Ainsworth says he feels for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after suffering his own injury nightmare at Adams Park.
The Premier League champions are in dismal form after losing four central defenders to injury and face a fight just to make the top four.
Wycombe’s ambitions are rather more modest, but their quest for Championship survival has been similarly hampered by lengthy absences for defender Ryan Tafazolli, striker Uche Ikpeazu and midfielder Dominic Gape.
Tafazolli suffered an ankle injury in only his second game for the club, Gape has endured persistent hamstring trouble whilst Ikpeazu - another summer signing - did not play until Christmas after a string of mishaps.
All three have now returned to action, resulting in a run of seven points from four games that has breathed new life into the Chairboys’ season. It puts them in good heart for today’s visit of Championship leaders Norwich.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, losing big players is very disruptive,” said Ainsworth. “It’s why I empathise hugely with someone like Jurgen Klopp.
“Losing those three hurt us but they’re back now and showing exactly why we’ve missed them.”
Ainsworth says the Chairboys fear no-one ahead of their high noon clash against Norwich.
“This train is up and running,” he said. “And the way we’re playing, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of this train. It’s really motoring. We’ve found our mojo, we’ve got our injured players back.
“We feel we can take anyone on at the moment. There’s a real energy about the place, nothing to lose. So let’s head for that line and see how close we can get.”
QPR defender Yoann Barbet is pleased to have finally found some consistency in his game.
The 27-year-old has played his part in Mark Warburton’s side’s impressive form recently.
Barbet said: “In the recent games I feel I have been quite good.
“I was a bit up and down at the start of the season and wasn’t happy with how I was doing.
“Consistency is the key and in the last two months I have been pleased with how I have been doing.
“We need to continue in this way, play with confidence and we will see where that takes us at the end of the season.”