Barnsley FC facing mini injury crisis, but Darrell Clarke pledges to ‘patch up’ Reds for key League One clash
A lengthening injury list and tough schedule caught up with the Reds in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss at Charlton, with the fifth-placed Addicks prevailing thanks to an early goal from Macauley Gillesphey following an error from keeper Jackson Smith.
First-choice custodian Joe Gauci is one of a number of Barnsley players currently injured, with Georgie Gent, Jonathan Lewis, Donovan Pines, Fabio Jalo and Barry Cotter also sidelined.
Gent (Achilles) is out for the rest of the season.
Mael de Gevigney serves the final match of a three-game ban this weekend, with key duo Adam Phillips and Josh Earl also doubts after coming off with strains at the Valley.
They are now six points behind sixth-placed Huddersfield, with the two of the sides above the Oakwell outfit in Reading and Bolton both having a game in hand.
Clarke, whose side had provided themselves with an inkling of hope following three successive wins prior to Tuesday, said: “We are having that spell now where injuries and suspensions are catching up with us a little bit, but we don’t want to become victims and have got to patch ourselves up and get a team out there on Saturday which is ready to respond.
“Charlton is a tough away place to come. It’s an even tougher one when you are on the back of four games in 10 days with three away games. It was always going to be a difficult night for us, but the boys put their bodies on the line
“There were boys playing with strains and we picked up one or two more injuries, so it’s one we don’t have to over-analyse.
“We were disappointed, but have to focus and get the bodies right for the next one.
“They (Charlton) saw out the game well and you could see they have got a decent squad and a good run at the minute, but there’s plenty of games to go in the last quarter of the season to try and pick up as many wins as we can.”
A potential absence for Earl would leave Clarke without a recognised left-sided centre-half for the weekend.
