Rested Clarke set for return

PETER CLARKE: Played every minute of league action

VITAL defender Peter Clarke is set to return to the team for the battle with Wimbledon and does so having been saluted by his team-mate Ryan Flynn.

For the second time this season, Clarke (34) sat out a Checkatrade Trophy tie in midweek in order to rest his legs for the more important Sky Bet League One action tomorrow.

The group games he missed against Carlisle and then Blackburn's under-21s are the only fixtures the former Southend, Huddersfield and Bury defender has been an absentee from all season.

Even in the autumn years of his playing career, the dominating centre-back has played in every minute of Athletic's league campaign to date - even staying on the field after taking an almighty whack off the ball at Rochdale, for which Calvin Andrew picked up a lengthy ban.

It isn't just his staying power that is vital to guiding Athletic through matches, though, but his defensive ability and the way he acts as an example to the younger players in the squad.

"He is a leader of men and that's the best way of describing it," said Flynn of his captain, who now has 626 senior appearances under his belt across 17 seasons at eight clubs.

"It's everything he does off the pitch as well in terms of his professionalism and the way he looks after himself.

"He hasn't missed many minutes this season, that's for sure, even at the age he is playing and he has won promotion in the past.

"That really speaks volumes.

"He is a top-class professional and a really good skipper. We need him, that's for sure."

Athletic head into the clash with the Dons in a positive, upbeat mood.

Despite making five changes in midweek and being up against a Blackburn side that included first-teamers Liam Feeney, Elliott Bennett and Anthony Stokes, Stephen Robinson's side battled well to secure a draw and, subsequently, a victory in the penalty shoot-out.

It means that the club now have four wins and a draw - a two-point draw in terms of the Checkatrade Trophy's rules - in the last eight outings.

And on home soil, the victory over promotion-chasing League Two side Doncaster means Athletic have won two out of three at SportsDirect.com Park, which is hardly a bad habit to be getting into at this stage of the season.

Robinson's side remain in the relegation zone but know that a win tomorrow could lift the club as high as 19th, depending on results elsewhere.

Midfield man Flynn, who starred with a goal and assist against Doncaster and who hit the crossbar at Blackburn, believes that things are turning around at home.

"There was a buzz about the place against Doncaster and we need to bring that back into the home games and get some more wins under our belt," he added.

AN OFFICIAL total of 174 Athletic supporters were at Ewood Park for the Checkatrade Trophy game against Blackburn Rovers under-21s. That works out as just short of 37 per cent of the overall 471 attendance figure.

Weekend fixtures in Sky Bet League One (3pm unless stated) -



TOMORROW: Swindon v Charlton (noon); Bradford v Rochdale; Bury v Southend; Coventry v Scunthorpe; Gillingham v Northampton; Millwall v Bristol Rovers; MK Dons v Walsall; ATHLETIC v Wimbledon; Port Vale v Fleetwood; Shrewsbury v Oxford.



SUNDAY: Peterborough v Bolton (12.15pm); Chesterfield v Sheff Utd (2.15pm).