Swindon Town will be without defender Romoney Crichlow for Tuesday's League Two trip to Barnet after he suffered a nasty facial injury. Barnet manager Dean Brennan confirmed the former Swindon player is definitely out of the reunion with his old club.
Crichlow was stretchered off in stoppage time of a recent match. He later posted on social media that he had three teeth removed from his lip and needed multiple stitches. He also revealed the injury required surgery. "Crich is definitely out, he is 100 per cent out," Brennan said.
The injury adds to a significant list of absentees for Swindon, who are missing 11 players in total. Midfielder Ollie Clarke will also miss the game after suffering a hamstring injury in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Walsall, a result that leaves Swindon 18th in the table with 12 points from 11 games. Their record of three wins, three draws and five defeats leaves them ten points adrift of the summit.
Manager Ian Holloway admitted the loss of Clarke's physicality is a concern. He warned his team must increase their aggression to compensate. "We need to 'smash through people' without Clarke," Holloway said, stressing the need for freshness, hunger, and desire from the remaining players. He added that the team must be more "streetwise" and show more "nastiness" to compete.
Defenders Danny Collinge and Zac Williams are expected to be ready to play, offering some relief at the back. The team's recent form shows the scale of the challenge, with no wins in their last five matches, a sequence of two draws and three losses. They face a Barnet side sitting second in the league and currently undefeated. This difficult run included a 1-0 loss at Rochdale and a 0-1 home defeat to Crewe.
Barnet's threats and absences
Barnet will be without Jack Maskell through suspension but will field several former Swindon players. Striker Kabongo Tshimanga, their top scorer with seven goals this season, will lead the line, alongside midfielders Nnamdi Ofoborh and Jake Reeves. Ofoborh has not started any of Barnet's last four games.
Brennan stated his team must be wary of Swindon's threat from set pieces, despite their injury problems. He also confirmed that Barnet will be without the suspended Maskell and have a doubt over defender Sam Woods, who is struggling with a knee injury.
For Swindon, the focus is on halting their poor run. Their next match is a tough away fixture at The Hive, with the full fixtures schedule showing a critical period ahead. The club's current standings position highlights the need for points. Swindon travel to face Barnet on Tuesday night. They will hope their leading marksman Aaron Drinan, who has 22 goals this term, can inspire an improvement in front of goal for a side with a minus five goal difference.
The original report is at gazetteandherald.co.uk
