Latics eyes on Jenkins

ATHLETIC boss Stephen Robinson is facing a hectic spell of fixtures, including FA Cup and Checkatrade Trophy ties

ATHLETIC are running the rule over former Watford midfielder Ross Jenkins, as boss Stephen Robinson examines options for strengthening his squad.

Jenkins (26), who is a free agent, is training with the club and played in this week's reserve-team friendly against Blackburn Rovers.

A former England under-20 player, he had most recently been turning out in the Romanian top flight for Poli Timi?oara.

ATTEMPT

Robinson is in the market for a new centre-back and will attempt to get Anthony Gerrard signed, initially on a short-term basis, once he has fully recovered fitness after a calf injury.

And he is also keen to land another natural holding midfielder in order to add competition for places within the squad ahead of a testing period of fixtures.

Between now and the turn of the year, Athletic face nine fixtures. That includes FA Cup and Checkatrade Trophy ties at Lincoln City and Walsall respectively, with seven of those games being played away from home.

Jenkins - no relation to the player of the same name who starred for Watford in the 1970s - made a total of 95 appearances for the Vicarage Road club after progressing through the ranks, scoring two goals.

He had short spells out on loan at Plymouth and Barnet and after leaving Watford in the summer of 2014, he signed for Crawley near the start of last season.

After seven starts and seven appearances as a substitute at the Sky Bet League Two club, he made the move to Romania where he played alongside former Manchester City player Alex Nimely.

SUMMER

This summer, Jenkins had been linked with Championship clubs Bristol City, Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion.

AN 11-game run without a win has signalled the end of David Flitcroft's reign at Bury.

The 42-year-old left the League One club yesterday in the aftermath of a 5-0 FA Cup first-round replay hammering at AFC Wimbledon.

He had been in charge for almost three years and brought the club up from League Two in the 2014-15 season but fortunes soured recently amid a sequence of seven straight league defeats.

STEVE Evans is the new manager at Mansfield after signing a two-and-a-half year contract with the League Two club.

The former Leeds boss (54) almost joined Athletic in the summer, only to eventually turn down the opportunity.

He replaces Adam Murray at Field Mill and is joined at the club by his regular right-hand man Paul Raynor.