Blackpool boss Michael Appleton misses training due to family matter ahead of Nottingham Forest FA Cup tie

Blackpool’s head coach has been absent from the club’s Squires Gate training ground due to a personal/family matter.

Assistant David Kerslake took press duties on Friday afternoon instead, having led training alongside fellow coach Richard O’Donnell.

Kerslake suggested Appleton has yet to select his team for Blackpool’s FA Cup third round tie but will do so overnight before taking the game as usual.

“I’ve just spoken to Michael and it’s very likely he will be in the dugout,” Pool’s number two told The Gazette.

“It’s just a family issue he’s had to deal with, so he couldn’t be here in training.

“We’ve planned for the cup game right from the start of the week so we’ve been looking at Forest and how they play. Although we don’t know what side they will put out, we suspect there will be changes.

“But they will play a certain way, we’ve studied that from Monday onwards and Richard and I have taken training on Thursday and Friday dealing with what the manager has already outlined.”

Kerslake also confirmed Andy Lyons and Morgan Rogers will be available to make their debuts, but Josh Bowler is ineligible to face his parent club.

Lyons is likely to start the game with Callum Connolly serving a one-match suspension following his red card against Sunderland on New Year’s Day.

Elsewhere, Luke Garbutt, Jordan Gabriel, Liam Bridcutt, Kevin Stewart, Lewis Fiorini and Keshi Anderson all remain sidelined by injury, while there are doubts over a couple of other players according to Kerslake.

“We’ve maybe got one or two knocks we might have to wait on overnight to see how we are, but we will look to go as strong as we can,” he said.

“The manager hasn’t been here but he will sleep on things overnight and we’ll see what he picks.”

The Seasiders go into the game looking for a first win in 10, having not tasted victory since beating Coventry City 2-1 back in October.