Huddersfield Town digest: Josh Koroma injury blow and Jonathan Hogg's future
Plus a predicted line-up and all the injury latest as we look ahead to Saturday's trip to Bristol Rovers
What’s been said
— Jonathan Hogg, on his hopes for the future after making his 400th appearance for Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night:
“I haven’t thought about it a great deal to be honest with you. I’ve got only a few years left, if that, so there’s still plenty of football to play, certainly this season.
“I want to finish on a high and if it is this year, I’m happy it is. If it’s not, I’m still quite happy to do another year. I will want to do another year, I just want to keep going and enjoying it.
“I love this club, this is my club, and I want to see it where it belongs, and it doesn’t belong in League One, let me tell you that.
“I haven’t done any coaching badges yet. I’ve always thought I wanted to focus as much as I can on playing for as long as I can, and then when I finish I’ve got plenty of time to do other bits and bobs.”
— Michael Duff, also on Jonathan Hogg’s future:
“I’ve had a few conversation with Hoggy and one thing that’s clear is he loves the football club and wants to play as long as he can.
“400 games at one club is an unbelievable achievement … I’ll probably be the 500th manager who’s been here in the last ten years that have said the same things about Hoggy. The one thing that’s been consistent at this football club is Jonathan Hogg and everything he brings.
“He’ll fully invested and we showed a clip of the two Barnsley goals — Hoggy’s not even playing and he’s celebrating like a lunatic. He could be going ‘I want to be playing’ and sulking but he’s not, he’s 100% invested in every minute of every training session and every game whether he’s in the team or not.
“Characters like that are hard to find because he leads by example. He makes mistakes but he’ll put his hand up and doesn’t let standards slip. He’s a big cog in everything we’re trying to do.
“… He’s got a lot to offer [if he wants to go into coaching], it’s just whether he wants a bit of time with his family to do things you can’t do when you’re playing …
“We’ll support him whatever decision he makes because he’s just a good bloke, so whatever he decides to do he’ll be a success because of his attitude, his mentality, and his core values are solid.
“You always want to work with people like that and you want people like that to do well. He probably embodies everything about this football club in terms of determination, grit, honesty, which is why he’s had the career he’s had.”
Coming up next
Bristol Rovers sit just three points outside the relegation zone but have a game in hand on a couple of clubs either side of them, including 21st-placed Burton.
Gas boss Inigo Calderon has overseen just one win in the past six games, that coming against relegation rivals Burton, losing twice from winning position in their past three games.
Set pieces have been a particular issue for Bristol Rovers at both ends of the pitch. Only Crawley (3) have scored fewer from dead balls this season (5), while no side has conceded more (20). Town have practically the opposite record, with just three conceded — the best in the division —and 18 scored, behind only Lincoln City.
Rovers’ league position is more to do with their away form than what they have done at home, however, and they have claimed 10 points from their past five games at the Memorial Stadium.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Josh Koroma went off midway through the first half against Wrexham with a calf issue, and is now expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Joe Taylor is unlikely to start on Saturday as Town ease him back into action following his return from a hamstring injury.
Nigel Lonwijk followed Koroma off the pitch at the break after feeling his hamstring. The Wolves loanee went for a scan on Thursday and the club are awaiting the results of that scan.
David Kasumu is expected to miss another couple of weeks with a hamstring injury.
Radinio Balker faces another 1-3 weeks out with a quad injury.
Mickel Miller is ‘getting closer’ to returning from his knee injury but will not be available this weekend.
Herbie Kane is not expected back until mid-April with his knee injury.
Centre-backs Matty Pearson and Tom Lees are out with calf and knee injuries respectively. Pearson is expected to miss around another 3-4 weeks while Lees is being monitored.
Chris Maxwell remains sidelined with a long-standing hip issue and Tom Iorpenda is out with a back injury.
Danny Ward and Rhys Healey are both out for the season with knee injuries.
Predicted line-up to face Bristol Rovers
3-4-1-2: Lee Nicholls; Ollie Turton, Brodie Spencer, Josh Ruffels; Lasse Sorensen, Antony Evans, Joe Hodge, Ruben Roosken; Tawanda Chirewa; Callum Marshall, Dion Charles.
Substitutes: Jacob Chapman, Loick Ayina, Cameron Ashia, Jonathan Hogg, Ben Wiles, Freddie Ladapo, Joe Taylor.
New kit deal; game rearranged
Town have announced that Castore will replace Umbro as their kit supplier from next season in a ‘multi-year’ deal.
Town chief revenue officer Paul Reeves said: “This collaboration comes at a key time for Huddersfield Town, as we continue to drive the off-field business forward with our ambitious plans for the club and its facilities.”
Meanwhile, Town’s home clash with Wycombe Wanderers, originally scheduled for Saturday 22nd March, will now be played on Tuesday 8th April in a 7:45pm kick-off due to international call-ups.
Huddersfield Town Women
Town Women will make the trip over to Lancashire to take on Fylde on Sunday afternoon as the Women’s National League Division One North begins to wind down, with just five games left to play for Glen Preston’s side.
Bottom-of-the-table Fylde will be absolutely desperate to get the full three points that would give them a shot of getting out of the relegation zone, while Town realistically have little to play for beyond pride in the league as they sit ten points behind leaders Cheadle Town Stingers.