'The first time' - Blackpool boss paints injury picture ahead of Northampton Town test
Blackpool take on Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon (K.O. 12.30pm).
Steve Bruce states it’s time for his Blackpool squad to kick on - with the majority of the Seasiders’ injury problems now behind them.
Throughout the opening month of the campaign, the experienced head coach has been forced to try a number of things due to various shortages in different areas, which has been one of the mitigating factors behind the Fylde Coast outfit’s disappointing start to the season.
Heading into Saturday’s game away to Northampton Town at Sixfields (K.O. 12.30pm), James Husband is the only player ruled out of action - with the club captain unavailable until December due to a hamstring problem.
With two weeks of training uninterrupted under his side’s belt during the international window, Bruce is now confident Blackpool can demonstrate what they are about.
“It’s the first time, apart from Hubby (James Husband), everyone is fit,” he said.
“I’ll have to leave two or three people off the bench, so things are looking up in that respect. In the last week of the window we were active in bringing a couple more bodies in, which has got the squad to where it is today, and I’ve got to say - looking at it, it’s a very good squad of players.
“I know results haven’t been good enough, we all accept that, but we can only get better. I’ve seen an increase in training in the last couple of weeks because people are getting fit.
“A lot of them haven’t been involved in pre-season or training with U21s, so it’s been difficult for them, but they’ve now had a really good couple of weeks under their belts and look a lot more settled.”
Horsfall getting closer
During the international break, the Seasiders took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly to get certain players up to speed.
This included Fraser Horsfall - who was forced to miss the majority of August’s games due to an ankle problem.
“He played his first 90 minutes really since the first day of the season,” Bruce added.
“He’s better and out of the boot, but still needs a lot of training. He’s in and around the squad, and that can only be a good thing.
“We’ve got competition in abundance now, we’ve got two players for every position - which is very healthy. We’ve got a squad that is as good as anyone in this division, but it’s up to us to prove it and start from now.”
Ennis returns
Alongside having to deal with injuries, Blackpool have also been forced to navigate the absence of Niall Ennis due to suspension.
The striker is among those who will be back in action against the Cobblers, after serving the three-match ban he picked up for his red card against Huddersfield Town.
“There’s our luck, we didn’t just lose one striker, we lost him and Fletch (Ashley Fletcher) at the same time,” Bruce stated.
“That’s been where we’ve been for three weeks, so it’s been frustrating for everyone concerned. Everyone’s looking good now, so let’s get the season started.”
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