Wycombe v Southend preview

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The Chairboys will be without defender Charles Dunne for this weekend’s home outing.

The 20-year-old defender, who is back on loan with the club having moved to Blackpool, saw red in the derby with Oxford last weekend and will be missing.

The Chairboys, searching for their first victory since the opening day of the season, will welcome back captain Stuart Lewis after he served his three-match ban.

Paris Cowan-Hall remains sidelined after the winger strained the medial ligament in his left knee but Sunderland loanee Billy Knott looks set to start once more.

Mark Phillips will be assessed ahead of the Shrimpers’ trip south east.

The defender has missed the club’s last two matches – victory over Northampton and defeat at Chesterfield – with a groin strain and is striving to prove his fitness ahead of the clash at Adams Park.

Midfielder Marc Laird and defender Julian Bennett are both sidelined with long-term knee injuries.

Conor Clifford stepped in for Laird in last week’s late loss at Chesterfield but fit-again Kevan Hurst also made his return as a second-half substitute at the Proact Stadium and could come into contention for a starting berth.

Wycombe v Southend preview

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Wycombe will be boosted by the return of top scorer Matt McClure ahead of the visit of Southend.

The 21-year-old striker returned to full training on Thursday having recovered from a toe injury.

That problem forced the nine-goal forward to come off in the defeat to Bristol Rovers on Saturday but he is set to be available to face Paul Sturrock’s men.

QPR loanee Bruno Andrade will again be assessed ahead of kick-off to determine whether he can rejoin the squad having sat out their last match with an ankle knock picked up against Bradford.

Wycombe go into this match in 14th position in League Two, 10 points below the play-off places and 10 clear of the relegation zone.

Southend ran out 1-0 winners when the teams met at Roots Hall back in September.

Southend welcome back Ryan Cresswell and Michael Spillane as they come down to earth with a trip to the Chairboys following their midweek Johnstone’s Paint Trophy heroics.

Centre-back Cresswell (suspended) and midfielder Spillane (cup-tied) were two of seven players who missed Tuesday’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Leyton Orient, which was enough to clinch a 3-2 aggregate success and a place in the Wembley final against Crewe.

Defenders Chris Barker and Mark Phillips passed late fitness tests to feature against the O’s after respective calf and toe problems, providing boss Paul Sturrock with a huge boost.

Yet the Scot still remains without at least five players for the trip to Adams Park.

Marc Laird, Caolan Lavery (both hamstring), Gavin Tomlin (thigh), Michael Timlin (broken leg) and Bilel Mohsni (suspension) continue to sit out.

Wycombe v Southend preview

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Wycombe manager Gary Waddock will choose from an unchanged squad as they look to secure promotion to League One.

A win at home will secure promotion while a draw could prove to be enough depending on Shrewsbury’s result against Oxford.

Veteran defender Chris Westwood is sidelined with a calf strain while forwards Stuart Beavon and Jon-Paul Pittman are also missing.

Beavon is still out with a knee injury while former Crawley man Pittman has an ankle problem.

Ben Strevens will continue to partner Scott Rendell in attack after he scored twice in the 3-1 win at Bury last week.

Skipper Gareth Ainsworth has recovered from a hamstring injury and left-back Andy Sandell is back from a knee problem.

Southend manager Paul Sturrock will be without Lee Sawyer as he serves a one-match ban for his dismissal against Burton last week.

Sawyer had come on as a first-half substitute for fellow midfielder Anthony Grant after he suffered an ankle injury, and the latter now faces a late fitness test before this game.

Left-back Peter Gilbert will be included in the squad after coming through an hour for the reserves in midweek after almost two months out following a hernia operation.

Young striker Kyle Asante will be hoping to play some part after appearing alongside Gilbert for the second string and getting on the scoresheet.

It remains to be seen whether goalkeeper Rhys Evans and midfielder Miguel Comminges, who were on the bench against Albion, will be included among the substitutes again as they were two of the five players told by Sturrock this week to find new clubs.