Yeovil Town are set to welcome AFC Fylde with a near full-strength squad as Billy Rowley’s side looks to respond to its first defeat of the season.
Defender Ben Radcliffe, midfielders Brett McGavin and Luke McCormick, and defender Joy Mukena are all expected to be available for the home game at Huish Park. The quartet were either forced off early or missed last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Southend United, while Mukena had also been unwell during the week.
The only first-team player unavailable to Rowley is midfielder Joe Haigh. He is training after undergoing surgery during the summer but has yet to make his debut for Yeovil since joining from Dagenham & Redbridge.
Players return after Southend problems
McGavin’s availability is particularly notable after he played through illness at Southend. Rowley said the midfielder had been sick before the match and again during half-time, but still managed to remain on the pitch.
McCormick was withdrawn after suffering problems with his calves, while Radcliffe pulled out on the day of the game. Mukena was recovering from an illness which Rowley believed may have begun a few days after the Southend fixture.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah, Rowley said the players had returned to training and that he expected to have a full selection for the weekend.
“Luckily, we’ve had a couple of boys back training today. Joy (Mukena) was sick, I think he might have caught something a couple of days after the Southend game. He was probably 85 or 90 per cent back today as well. So, touch wood, we’ll have a full selection and a really good squad to pick from.”
Rowley said McGavin had either food poisoning or a virus and had been vomiting before kick-off and at half-time. He added that McCormick’s calves had “blew up”, while Radcliffe’s late withdrawal contributed to Yeovil being short of options during the defeat.
“Brett (McGavin) had what I think was food poisoning or a virus. He was throwing up two or three times before the game and also threw up at half-time (at Southend). He did so well to stay on, but he looked a bit of a shadow of himself. Macca (McCormick) had some issues with his calves which blew up and he had to come off. (Radcliffe) pulled out on the day of the game, so it left us limping into that game a little bit. But we’re a little bit stronger this week.”
Focus turns to improving after late loss
Yeovil led Southend 2-0 before the home side completed its comeback with an 85th-minute winner. Rowley said the defeat had prompted him and his players to review the performance immediately and identify areas for improvement.
The manager said the squad had held meetings and that the latest training session had been among the better ones recently. He also stressed the importance of maintaining consistent habits across a long season that would inevitably include both strong and difficult periods.
“What it does is really motivate me to improve heavily. When you win, you can sometimes just enjoy it for 24 hours but when you lose a game, as soon as you step foot on the coach home, you’re looking at the game back and figuring out how you can improve. It speeds up the process of trying to improve.”
Rowley added that young players could benefit from seeing the management team remain level-headed, with everyone expected to stay committed to the same approach in training and matches.
AFC Fylde expected to provide a tough test
AFC Fylde arrive after conceding an 89th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 home draw against fellow new boys Worthing. Rowley nevertheless expects a demanding contest from a side he says presses high, defends with a high line and works hard to win the ball back.
He also praised Fylde’s individual talent and coaching, while drawing comparisons between the two teams’ attempts to build from the back and play positively.
“I have been very impressed with Fylde and I’ve been talking about this all week with the lads. They press really high, they’ve got a high defensive line and they really get after the ball. We’re going to need to be a really good version of us.”
The match begins a demanding sequence for Yeovil. The Glovers travel to Aldershot Town on Tuesday night before returning to Huish Park to face bottom club Solihull Moors next Tuesday night.
That schedule means Rowley expects to use the depth of his squad. He said every player would have an opportunity to feature over the following 10 days or two weeks and reported that the group had looked eager to compete in training.
“Naturally in football, every player wants to play every game. But over the next 10 days or two weeks, there will be a chance for everybody to be used. In training today, everybody looked hungry to play, which is exactly what you want to see. They just need to be ready to be called upon, which I’m sure they will be.”