Swindon Town have been handed a major squad boost with three key players returning from injury ahead of Saturday's home game against Crewe Alexandra. The availability of Joe Snowdon, Paul Glatzel and Matty Virtue comes as a welcome relief after a severe shortage hampered the side in a 1-0 defeat at Rochdale.
Last weekend's loss highlighted the depth of the crisis. Manager Ian Holloway had only one fully fit outfield player, James Deabyo, on the bench at the Crown Oil Arena. Aaron Drinan and Jack Thomson, who have started every available game this season, both required substitution after suffering hamstring and cramp issues respectively during the match.
Key players return to contention
Joe Snowdon, who was rested last weekend, has trained without pain this week and is back in contention. Paul Glatzel is also available after having fluid drained from his knee, with the striker reporting no soreness in training. Mitch Clark returns from suspension to bolster the defensive options.
Joseph Hungbo, who played the final six minutes at Rochdale despite knee discomfort, has had a scan which revealed only a mild issue. He is not expected to start but could feature. Sam Inwood is also back from international duty.
Holloway explained his reasoning for using Hungbo in such circumstances. "He was dealing with discomfort in his knee, but I explained to him that he couldn’t lose anyone else, and so he played the final six minutes," the manager said.
Youth involvement and long-term concerns
While the short-term picture brightens, a significant long-term injury list remains. Gavin Kilkenny, Fletcher Holman, Harry Smith, Ben Middlemas, Joel McGregor and Ryan Tafazolli are all still sidelined. There is some positive news, however, as McGregor's trip to a specialist went well and he is back training, with Holman set to join him on Monday.
Youngster Louis Millard, who returned from a shoulder injury, was advised to play with the under-18s and came off the bench to score in a 4-2 win for the under-21s against Southend United on Tuesday.
The returns are key for a Swindon side sitting 13th in League Two with 11 points from nine games. Their recent form shows just one draw and four defeats from the last five matches. Top scorer Aaron Drinan, with 22 goals this season, will hope for better service with a stronger squad around him.
Holloway now has more options as his team prepares to host third-placed Crewe at the County Ground. Supporters can check the full squad list and the latest fixtures as the Robins look to end their poor run and climb the standings. The match kicks off on Saturday.
The original report is at swindonadvertiser.co.uk
