Marrow return to boost Latics

Alex Marrow: Ready to return to action.

ALEX MARROW is the only one of Athletic’s absentees who will return in tomorrow’s Coca-Cola League One match at Southend United.

The 19-year-old has recovered from the sickness bug which ruled him out of last Saturday’s home game against Carlisle.

Marrow, who can play either right-back or central midfield, will provide manager Dave Penney with another option as the club’s injury crisis shows little sign of ending.

Penney had only 12 senior players available last Saturday and, of that dozen, Pawel Abbott and Chris Taylor played through the pain barrier as they are both carrying injuries.

Jon Worthington, Andy Holdsworth and Nick Blackman are all missing again as they struggle to overcome knocks while Deane Smalley, Joe Jacobson and Rob Purdie are out long term.

Athletic had hoped on-loan Blackman might return after it was revealed he has not suffered a stress fracture of his foot.

Blackman has gone back to Blackburn so they can assess the injury and decide on a course of treatment.

Despite the problems, Penney feels that the win against Carlisle, only Athletic’s second victory in 10 competitive matches so far, has lifted confidence.

“You could see in training this week the players were brighter and had more of a spring in their step. Hopefully we can carry it on,” he said.

However, the Athletic manager pointed out that the injury woes have been a handicap as it has meant there has been no scope to freshen things up.

He said: “The starting line-up we have been playing has been strong, but we need to look at the bench where basically we only have kids. It’s good experience for them, but not an ideal situation.”

ATHLETIC (probable squad): Brill, Lomax, Sheehan, Hazell, Gregan, Colbeck, Furman, Marrow, Whitaker, Taylor, Abbott, Parker, Lee, Brooke, Ollerenshaw, Rowney, Bembo-Leta, Tischler.

Southend are expecting their three injury worries from the 3-2 win at Brighton to be declared fit.

Left-back Johnny Herd and on-loan Sunderland central defender Jean-Yves M’Voto have hip problems while striker O’Donovan has been having treatment for a thigh strain.


DANIEL JONES, who spent most of last season at Boundary Park on loan from Wolves, has joined Sven-Goran Eriksson’s revolution at Notts County on a similar basis.