Burton v Plymouth preview

admin

Burton boss Gary Rowett has a few injury concerns ahead of Plymouth’s visit.

Full-back Phil Edwards is very doubtful through illness while centre-back Marcus Holness and striker Billy Kee have also been affected by a bug this week.

Forward Adam McGurk has been nursing a thigh problem sustained during the warm-up prior to last weekend’s goalless draw at York.

However, Rowett revealed that midfielder Robbie Weir (hamstring) has looked good in training this week after missing out against the Minstermen, while strikers Michael Symes and Gary Alexander are now both fully fit.

Plymouth look set to hand a debut to Enoch Showunmi at Burton.

The target-man, fresh from a loan spell at Devon rivals Torquay, was borrowed from Notts County last week and will be involved in the squad in place of Tope Obadeyi who returned to Bury at the end of his loan spell.

The Pilgrims have not kicked a ball since their 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Exeter last Tuesday and Matt Parsons, who was forced off with a thigh injury in that match, looks set to be ruled out again.

Striker Lewis Alessandra is edging closer to a return from a hamstring injury but this match comes too soon for the 12-goal forward. Goalkeeper Luke McCormick is unlikely to feature again this season with a dislocated and fractured finger unless the Pilgrims make the play-offs.

Burton v Plymouth preview

admin

Burton boss Gary Rowett will probably have an unchanged squad for the visit of the Pilgrims.

Calvin Zola is still struggling with a long-standing hamstring and hip problem that has seen him sit out the last four matches and the Congolese looks set to remain on the sidelines.

Fellow striker Billy Kee returned from a hamstring injury against Wycombe in midweek and got through the full 90 minutes unscathed.

Captain Zander Diamond and goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson were dropped for that game on Tuesday night following the 7-1 hammering at Port Vale.

Rowett expects them both to respond in a positive manner but they may struggle to get back into the starting line-up on Saturday after their replacements Marcus Holness and Dean Lyness helped Albion to a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory over the Chairboys.

Should Rowett opt to make changes he also has defender Aaron Webster, midfielders Jimmy Phillips, Jack Dyer and Adam Drury and striker Matt Paterson to call on.

Argyle captain Conor Hourihane will miss Saturday’s encounter.

The Irishman serves the final game of the two-match ban he received for picking up his 10th yellow card of the season against York.

Pilgrims boss John Sheridan will run the rule over on-loan Lee Cox ahead of kick off.

The midfielder, 22, has missed his side’s last two games with the shoulder injury he sustained in the victory over Exeter on March 30 and is rated as doubtful.

Sheridan will also check on veteran midfielder Paul Wotton who was taken off in the second half of Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Cheltenham, but could recover in time to play some part. Jamie Lowry and Warren Feeney remain sidelined.

Argyle have won four of their last five games and currently sit 18th in the League Two table, just three points above the relegation zone.

Burton v Plymouth preview

admin

Adam Bolder comes back into the reckoning for Burton.

Midfielder Bolder missed the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat to Sheffield United in midweek through suspension after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season during the league defeat at Accrington.

Albion boss Paul Peschisolido made four changes against his former club on Tuesday night. Jack Dyer made his first appearance of the campaign in place of Bolder, while Jimmy Phillips was preferred to Chris Palmer on the left wing.

Summer signing Danny Blanchett made his full debut at left-back against the Blades and veteran centre-half Darren Moore was handed his first start of the campaign.

Bolder and Palmer will hope to get straight back into the team along with Aaron Webster and Tony James.

Plymouth boss Peter Reid remains uncertain about the side he will be able to put out.

Argyle have yet to receive their August wages and several senior players, including Carl Fletcher and Romain Larrieu, have spoken about the possibility of going on strike.

Reid is supportive of the strike but is determined to field a side in any case, with a decision set to be made on Saturday morning.

He said: “Whatever happens, I’ll put a team out at Burton. But I wouldn’t hold anything against these players if they decided they weren’t in the right frame of mind to play.”

Conor Hourihane and Warren Feeney will not be selected regardless of a strike as they are on international duty with Northern Ireland Under 21s and the senior side respectively.

But Reid should be able to call on new loan recruits Simon King and Jamie Griffiths, who both joined on Wednesday.