'Help and support' - Blackpool boss explains why he's welcoming break for FA Cup action away to Ipswich Town
Blackpool have suffered back-to-back defeats at the start of 2026 - and find themselves short on numbers again.
Blackpool boss Ian Evatt is pleased to take a break from League One action for the next two weeks.
The Seasiders have endured back-to-back defeats at the start of 2026, and find themselves short on bodies.
James Husband remains unavailable for the next two games after an appeal against his red card in the 5-1 loss to Port Vale on New Year’s Day was unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Fraser Horsfall has been ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks due to a hamstring injury, and joins Hayden Coulson, Dale Taylor, Niall Ennis and Michael Ihiekwe on the list of absentees - although the latter two could be close to returning.
With Emil Hansson’s loan from Birmingham City also being brought to an early end, Blackpool were forced to name three youth players in their bench in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Bradford City at Bloomfield Road.
Evatt shares hopes
A break from league action comes in the form of an FA Cup third round tie away to Ipswich Town at the weekend, before a trip to Oakwell to face Barnsley seven days later.
Evatt hopes his side will benefit from a bit of rest during that time following a hectic Christmas period, but is also hopeful it will give the club time to add new faces to his squad.
“It’s given us some time to re-energise and reset,” he said.
“We can bring some players in, we’ve got a two-week window. Whether that happens immediately this week, the back end of the week or the week after - we’ve got to do it.
“As you can see, the kids aren’t ready for it. We’ve got some good kids here, a couple in particular, but they’re just not ready for that yet.
“Everyone can see the squad is extremely light, and we need some help and support.
“We’re in a window of opportunity and we’ve got to make sure we take that opportunity. The players need help, me and the staff need help - we need players to come in and hit the ground running to make us better. We need options, and I’m confident we’ll get those options.
“It’s hard to try and be calm because I’m really frustrated by the last game-and-a-half and what we’ve had to endure. Thursday was a huge injustice, and it had a knock on effect - that’s what happens when you get really bad decisions.”
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