Neil Critchley on how Blackpool are able to perform to such a high standard in spite of mounting injuries

Marvin Ekpiteta became the latest player to suffer a setback when he hobbled off on Saturday with what looked to be a hamstring injury.

That came just days after centre-back partner Richard Keogh suffered a calf injury in the draw at Coventry City.

While Neil Critchley is always hesitant to put a timeframe on these things, both players are looking at weeks on the sidelines rather than days, that’s for certain.

With Ekpiteta and Keogh now out, that makes it nine first-team players sidelined through injury.

Chris Maxwell (quad), Luke Garbutt (knee), James Husband (hamstring), Matty Virtue (ACL), Grant Ward (achilles), Sonny Carey (metatarsal) and Keshi Anderson (hamstring) are also out.

The vast majority of those nine would be in contention to start were they fully fit, while three of the nine have captained the side this season in Maxwell, Ekpiteta and Keogh.

And yet the Seasiders still found a way to deliver one of their best performances of the season at the weekend, only to lose so cruelly to second-placed Bournemouth at the death.

Ekpiteta’s injury during the second-half meant Ollie Casey was handed his league debut for the Seasiders off the bench, having previously only made two appearances in the cup.

The 21-year-old partnered Jordan Thorniley, becoming the club’s sixth different centre-back pairing in the league this season.

It was only a week or so ago that Critchley had a major headache in central midfield, where he still remains light on options to an extent.

But Kevin Stewart handed Blackpool a major boost as he played the full 90 minutes on his first appearance in tangerine since October.

With Kenny Dougall rested, the 28-year-old lined up alongside Callum Connolly - becoming the 10th different central midfield pairing Critchley has used in the Championship this season.

The fact the Seasiders have still managed to perform so well on their return to the second tier despite their injury problems is testament to Critchley and his staff.

Given how well drilled the Seasiders are, it seems to be the case that whoever comes into the team knows exactly what they’re doing and manage to find a way to get up to speed straight away.

“It was a similar story last season,” Critchley told The Gazette.

“We had numerous different centre-back pairings, nearly double figures I think.

“I just want players who are hungry to learn and improve. If they are, with the way we train and prepare then - as we’ve shown - players can step in and play.

“That comes down to coaching and teaching players how we want to play and consistency of messages so that they all understand what is expected of them when they do play.

“It’s a completely new back four, so it’s not like we have a settled team really, so it’s great credit to the players for the way they pick things up.”

​Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here