Contract talks can wait

Photo: Alan Howarth

Peter Clarke.

ATHLETIC will continue to resist talking to players about new contracts until the club knows which division it will play in next season.

Boss John Sheridan has nine games left in which to save Athletic from the drop for a second time in 12 months, the first of which is at home against Oxford United tonight (7.45pm kick-off).

Skipper Peter Clarke is one of a host of men whose deal is up at the end of the campaign - he has a clause in his contract for a further 12 months - but for now, Sheridan says the focus is on retaining Sky Bet League One status.

"I am not even thinking about contracts," said Sheridan. "It is way off my agenda at the moment. I just want to concentrate on staying in the division, which will stand us in good stead.

"My aim is to keep us up and then f we do stay up I will be trying to sign good players and keep players who I feel we want to keep.

"Then I want to push on next season and fight at the other end, not where we have been fighting of late."

Athletic need to win to guarantee staying out of the bottom-four ahead of the weekend's trip to Peterborough.

After that, the next four fixtures feature the three sides at the top of the division - Sheffield United, Fleetwood and Bolton - who all visit SportsDirect.com Park in a run-in Sheridan is relishing.

"We have three teams all going for automatic promotion, a derby against Rochdale and Oxford who are going for the play-offs," the manager said.

"You have big followings from Sheffield United and Bolton and also Rochdale - one which could be a really big game if you look at how things might turn out.

"We have difficult games away from home but I feel we can win these games.

"Higher up the pitch we need to be more adventurous and do things a little quicker."

Ryan McLaughlin won't feature in the Sheffield United game on Saturday week after being called up to the Northern Ireland squad.

'DESERVES IT'

"I'm pleased for Ryan," Sheridan said. "He deserves it and has been excellent. Wherever I play him, he always gives 110-per-cent.

"It's a boost for Ryan but not for us. But I'm not too concerned as we have two massive games coming up first. Hopefully, he can help us to six points."

Brian Wilson returns from suspension tonight and Rob Hunt has recovered from a strained hamstring to feature, but Cameron Dummigan is not yet considered ready for a return having only recently started full training again.

Athletic (probable, 4-2-3-1): Ripley; McLaughlin, Clarke, Gerrard, Hunt; Green, Banks; Obadeyi, O'Neill, Flynn; Amadi-Holloway. Subs (from): Kettings, Law, Wilson, Reckord, Edmundson, Taylor, Fane, Ngoo, Osei, Erwin.

TONIGHT'S fixtures in Sky Bet League One - AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons; Bury v Bristol Rovers; Charlton v Bradford; Chesterfield v Peterborough; Coventry v Southend United; Gillingham v Bolton; Northampton v Port Vale; ATHLETIC v Oxford United; Scunthorpe v Rochdale; Swindon v Sheffield United; Walsall v Fleetwood Town.