Dons Player update from the manager ahead of big clash
Neal Ardley said that a badly bruised foot is unlikely to stop captain Barry Fuller leading out the Dons on Saturday against Bolton Wanderers.
AFC Wimbledon’s home campaign gets underway with a match against former Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and Fuller is set to be in the thick of it once again.
Speaking during an interview for Dons Player, Neal said: “Barry has been carrying a badly bruised right foot since pre-season. I think he got whacked on it three times on Tuesday night. We just have to manage them through it. The boys have had a bit of rest and recovery and the others have trained today. We will go to work tomorrow. It is hard because you do not get much match preparation time in between games. You have to limit how hard you train in between games, but you also have to get your message across. We will use whatever means possible to be well prepared for Saturday’s game.”
It is a match likely to come too soon for Jon Meades, who has an ankle injury, while George Francomb only returned to full training earlier this week.
“We are not quite sure where we are with Jon at the moment,” added Neal. “The scans are showing that he is okay, but he is not feeling quite right. We don’t want him playing at 75 per cent so we have to trust him to get back on the pitch when he can. I think Sean Kelly has performed really well considering he has been thrown in at the deep end.
“I am really pleased with George as he is training now. He has finally got over what he had, but we have got to give him a slow build-up. I know George well and when he is fit he is a real asset, a very good player. We need to build him up though and not expect too much from him. He will start by playing for the Under-21s on Tuesday (against Luton) and he will train hard with Jason Moriarty and the team.”
An extensive update with Neal is now on Dons Player and an interview with Dannie Bulman will follow tomorrow on our premium channel.