Dunn not fazed by Forte blow

KNEE SURGERY . . . Jonathan Forte.

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ATHLETIC boss David Dunn has choices to make ahead of tonight’s Sky Bet League One trip to Port Vale - even when factoring in the loss of striker Jonathan Forte, who could be out until 2016.

Last season’s top scorer Forte (29) was set to be available for Vale Park after serving a three-match suspension. But it has emerged the former Scunthorpe and Southampton man has undergone surgery on a troublesome knee.

Boss Dunn said: “Jonathan’s been struggling with his knee for a few months and when we spoke to him he said he wanted the operation.

“I asked whether I wanted someone who would be 75 per cent fit, or out for a couple of months then 100 per cent fit. If he gets back in January with still four or five months of the season to go, he might make a big impact.”

It will be a blow for Athletic to lose Forte for such a long period, but striker Michael Higdon and midfielder Jay Fulton made impressive debuts, and full-back Richard Eckersley has been drafted in following his return from the USA. Trialists Ricardo Fuller and Febian Brandy are being checked out again this week, while Burnley defender Daniel Lafferty was being touted as another potential capture yesterday.

Dunn added: “There is good, healthy competition for places, and it’s important for players to be pushing one another. That probably gives me a few more headaches, but it’s a good problem to have.

“I will shuffle the pack when I see fit, but for now we can’t run before we can walk.

“My main aim was to get a strong structure in place because the few games before I took over I thought we were too easy to play.

“I think we’ve seen in these last two games that we are a lot more solid now. With the game coming so soon after the weekend there may be a chance to look at a few others, but I’m still relatively new to this job and it might take a few more weeks to see what my best team actually is.”

Dunn is hoping his first win in charge beckons tonight following back-to-back 1-1 draws since he took over.

“There are a good few threats in there and we will have to be careful, but I am confident that if we carry on making the progress we’ve shown over the last couple of weeks, we’ll be fine,” he said.