Huddersfield Town digest: Boxing Day predicted line-up and Christmas quiz
We look ahead to this week's visits from Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough
It’s not exactly a season of brilliant cheer for Huddersfield Town, but this can still be the season of good cheer for all of you. We hope that’s the case, and much love to you if not.
We know a lot of you will be with your Town-supporting families today, so as a special treat to break up the tedium of pretending to be fascinated by one another, I’ve put together a Christmas quiz on Huddersfield Town’s 2023 calendar year that you can pull out in a dull moment. Whether you’re doing it in your own head or reading it aloud for all to join in, we hope it provides an interesting five-minute diversion.
Whatever you’re celebrating, Dave and I would like to wish you all the very best and once again offer our sincere thanks for supporting us. It genuinely means the world to us both. Merry Christmas!
Coming up next for Huddersfield Town
We’ve been unable to get any kind of a handle on Blackburn Rovers for the past five years, really: every time they look like becoming really good, they suddenly become rubbish, and vice versa.
Their general weirdness is best exemplified this season by their being the inverse of Town when it comes to drawing games. Huddersfield Town have drawn ten times as many games as Blackburn this season and won less than half as many.
It very much feels like that Boxing Day game swings around which version of Blackburn turn up at the John Smith’s Stadium — and whether Sammie Szmodics is available or or not. The Championship’s top scorer missed his side’s loss at home to Watford on Saturday, along with Harry Pickering.
Manager Jon Dahl Tomasson told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "It's too early to know if they'll be ready. The medical department are working very hard to get them ready. Hopefully they will be ready but we have a lot of games coming up. We want to get them back but let's wait and see.”
Then we roll straight through to the Middlesbrough game on Friday evening in the traditional Mrs Chicken’s Birthday fixture that makes me ever so popular every year.
Boro have also been rather upsy-downy this season, albeit in longer streaks where Blackburn have been a coin flip from week to week.
They’re on an upturn at the moment, punctuated by having secured their place in the League Cup semi-finals. Morgan Rogers has been in particularly fine form with two goals and assists apiece in his past three outing, including the winner against West Brom on Saturday afternoon.
Finally, Town will round out their week with an inevitable loss away to Leicester City on New Year’s Day next Monday.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Ben Jackson and Kyle Hudlin both returned to action away to Norwich on Saturday afternoon, with the full-back playing 69 minutes before being replaced by the centre-forward.
Brahima Diarra was also back in the squad after missing the trip to Millwall; he was an unused substitute at Carrow Road.
Lee Nicholls missed out as he follows the concussions protocols following his blow to the head against Millwall. He will continue to be assessed but it currently seems unlikely he will be able to play a part on Boxing Day.
Danny Ward suffered a recurrence of his Achilles injury on Friday having been pencilled in to start the Norwich game, forcing Darren Moore into a late change of tack with Jackson drafted in instead. The manager was unable to say whether or not Ward will be available to face Blackburn.
Tom Edwards was absent for personal reasons — wishing him all the best.
Kian Harratt, Pat Jones, Matty Pearson, Josh Ruffels and Ollie Turton will all be out until the new year.
Predicted Huddersfield Town line-up to face Blackburn Rovers
3-4-3: Chris Maxwell; Tom Lees, Michal Helik, Yuta Nakayama; Ben Jackson, David Kasumu, Jonathan Hogg, Jaheim Headley; Sorba Thomas, Delano Burgzorg, Jack Rudoni.
Substitutes: Jacob Chapman, Loick Ayina, Josh Austerfield, Brahima Diarra, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Tom Iorpenda, Ben Wiles, Josh Koroma, Kyle Hudlin.
What’s been said
“We’ve assessed the squad and we’re quite ready in terms of needing to make any rotations with games coming up. We’ll look at that when we analyse the team for Boxing Day because as we know now, these games are going to come thick and fast.”
— Darren Moore, after the Norwich game, explaining why he only opted to make one substitution
Christmas quiz
You’ll find the answers below. It is a bit tough so don’t worry about it if you find it challenging!
In the Championship in calendar year 2023, which Huddersfield Town players have:
Played the most minutes?
Scored the most goals?
Assisted the most goals?
Been substituted on the most times?
Been substituted off the most times?
Goalscorers
Who scored the first Huddersfield Town goal of 2023, opening the scoring against Luton?
Delano Burgzorg scored Town’s only penalty of the year to date against Millwall last weekend. Who scored the previous one?
Which January signing scored on his debut for the club?
Which player scored the final goal of Mark Fotheringham’s reign?
Danny Ward scored a memorable winner against Sheffield United as Huddersfield Town confirmed their safety from relegation. Who provided the assist for that goal?
Highs and Lows
Which player scored one and assisted the other in Neil Warnock’s first game back at the club as the beat Birmingham City 2-1?
Which two sides inflicted four-nil defeats on Town in back-to-back games in February-March? One mark for naming both teams.
How many points did Town take from their final ten games of the 2022/23 season?
Against which side did Town finally claim their first win of the new 2023/24 season, at the sixth time of asking?
Which club did Scott High join on loan on transfer deadline day this summer?
Ins and outs
Which loan player returned to his parent club in January despite having claimed a goal and an assist in his last two appearances of 2022?
Which player arrived on loan from a Premier League club in the January transfer window but didn’t play a single game for the club?
Which club did Etienne Camara move to in a permanent deal in the summer?
Which two Town academy graduates joined Peterborough in permanent moves this summer? You need both to get the point.
Name either of the two members of the Town coaching staff who departed in the summer and subsequently joined Norwich City.
Our schedule
Five conclusions on the Norwich game are out now, if you’ve not had a gander already.
We’ll have player ratings available from all three games on the free feed, as usual, with five conclusions to follow the morning after each game.
All being well, David Hartrick and I will be back with the podcast on Wednesday or Thursday to talk about the Norwich and Blackburn games.
Quiz answers
Just going to leave a blank space here because some of you will be scrolling through quickly and may have missed the actual quiz above. Go back up if that’s you.
OK.
Here’s the answers.
In the Championship in calendar year 2023, which Huddersfield Town players have:
Played the most minutes? Michal Helik (3,769)
Scored the most goals? Michal Helik and Matty Pearson (6). A mark for either, but you don’t get two marks for both, smartarse.
Assisted the most goals? Sorba Thomas (5)
Been substituted on the most times? Brahima Diarra (18)
Been substituted off the most times? Josh Koroma (19)
Goalscorers
Who scored the first Huddersfield Town goal of 2023, opening the scoring against Luton? Duane Holmes
Delano Burgzorg scored Town’s only penalty of the year to date against Millwall last weekend. Who scored the previous one? Jordan Rhodes (away to Luton last season)
Which January signing scored on his debut for the club? Florian Kamberi
Which player scored the final goal of Mark Fotheringham’s reign? Josh Koroma
Danny Ward scored a memorable winner against Sheffield United as Huddersfield Town confirmed their safety from relegation. Who provided the assist for that goal? Tom Lees
Highs and Lows
Which player scored one and assisted the other in Neil Warnock’s first game back at the club as Town beat Birmingham City 2-1? Jaheim Headley
Which two sides inflicted four-nil defeats on Town in back-to-back games in February-March? One mark for naming both sides. Burnley and Coventry
How many points did Town take from their final ten games of the 2022/23 season? 21
Against which side did Town finally claim their first win of the new 2023/24 season, at the sixth time of asking? West Bromwich Albion
Which club did Scott High join on loan on transfer deadline day this summer? Ross County
Ins and outs
Which loan player returned to his parent club in January despite having claimed a goal and an assist in his last two appearances of 2022? Kaine Kesler-Hayden
Which player arrived on loan from a Premier League club in the January transfer window but didn’t play a single game for the club? Jordan Smith
Which club did Etienne Camara move to in a permanent deal in the summer? Udinese
Which two Town academy graduates joined Peterborough in permanent moves this summer? You need both to get the point. Romoney Crichlow and Nicholas Bilokapic
Name either of the two members of the Town coaching staff who departed in the summer and subsequently joined Norwich City. Narcis Pelach and Paul Clements