LEGGE AND CLARK READY AS VALE LOOK TO SECURE
NEIL Aspin is set to recall Mitch Clark and Leon Legge to his Port Vale squad for this weekend’s home game with Cheltenham.
Legge has missed the last two games after suffering epileptic seizures, while Clark has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury in the 1-0 defeat at home to Swindon three weeks ago.
However, both have returned to training this week and are likely to be included in the squad providing they come through training today.
Legge will be hard to leave out of the side in central defence having been one of the Valiants’ most consistent players since his arrival on a free from Cambridge in the summer.
Vale impressed in winning 4-0 at home to Stoke under21s in his absence, but were less convincing in their 2-2 draw at home to Morecambe last weekend.
Aspin has gone with Connell Rawlinson and Nathan Smith as his centreback pairing in Legge’s absence, but does have the option of moving Rawlinson to right-back if he recalls Legge.
The manager said: “We didn’t miss him in the Stoke game, but you would say at times at Morecambe we could have done with his heading prowess, especially when we were against the wind and under the cosh a little bit with the corners and set-pieces.
“He is a player that has done well for us this year, but I wouldn’t put any blame really on the centre-halves who played on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Clark could come into the team at right or left-back having played in both positions since joining the Valiants on loan from Aston Villa in August. That loan deal is until the end of the season, but Vale are hoping Villa won’t exercise a recall clause in the January transfer window.
The Valiants accept they may lose the 19-year-old if a club from a higher division comes in for him, but are hoping the fact Clark has been getting regular games at Vale Park will count in their favour.
Whoever Aspin selects on Saturday, he says the team have to play much better than at Morecambe when they snatched a 2-2 draw thanks to a dramatic final 10 minutes featuring goals from Antony Kay and Tom Pope and a penalty save from Scott Brown.
The manager added: “Cheltenham have caused problems to a lot of teams