Lee Brown comes back into contention for tonight’s visit of Coventry City in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
The defender (pictured with Armani Little) missed our season opener at Grimsby at the weekend, but returns from a back injury to potentially face Championship opposition.
This evening’s opponents were edged out of a Premier League place this season by Luton Town, following a penalty shoot-out at Wembley at the end of May, and since then their boss Mark Robins has reshaped his squad by making nine new signings.
Watch the full preview with Johnnie Jackson below.
“Browny has been back with the group and trained,” said Manager Johnnie Jackson after Tuesday’s final session in New Malden. “It’s a position where we have been a bit light in terms of numbers, although Ryan Johnson did well filling in there on Saturday. Browny coming back in gives us a more natural choice in that position.”
While Paul Kalambayi continues to progress towards joining in full training, both Jack Currie and Huseyin Biler remain unavailable.
“They are getting closer,” said Johnnie. “But they won’t be involved in this game and probably not at the weekend against Wrexham. They are not long term, but we should have them back before too long.”
Johnnie admires what Coventry have achieved in recent years, a club he had a brief spell with as a player, but he’s eager to make progress in the competition.
“It seems like a long time ago now, when I was on loan to Coventry from Spurs,” said Johnnie. “I was there for a month and played five games and scored a couple of goals.
“I managed to do alright there and have fond memories of a great club with a big history like us, especially in cup competitions, so it should be a really exciting night.
“It’ll be difficult for us, but it’ll be a wonderful challenge to see where we are.
“They were a whisker away from getting into the Premier League last season. They had an unbelievable campaign and Mark has done an incredible job since he’s been in charge, He’s made progress with them every season. To get so close shows what a good side they are and good players they’ve got.”
Coventry got their season underway on Sunday, with a 2-1 defeat away to Leicester City, and Johnnie was pleased to see our former loanee Kasey McAteer make his first league start against the Sky Blues.
“I got the heads up from some people that I know that Kasey was going to start,” said Johnnie. “I managed to speak to him before the game, just to wish him luck.
“It’s great when we’ve had him here with us, we’ve played a part in his development and to see him go on and play for his hometown/boyhood club. I watched with a lot of interest, seeing Kasey and seeing what Coventry were like."
Photos: Pro Sports Images.