Huddersfield Town digest: Lee Grant on transfers, injuries and Leyton Orient preview
We're back with the weekly round-up of what you need to know ahead of this weekend's season opener
What’s been said
— Lee Grant, on the work done in the transfer market so far and whether there could still be more incomings, at Wednesday afternoon’s press conference
“That's probably been one of the things I've been most pleased about — that we've managed to do the bulk of our work really early, when you look at where we are in the window still.
“Having had 11 players in, in terms of new signings and incomings, and having the bulk of those prior to our first game of the season, is incredible really in terms of the work that's gone on behind the scenes.
So I've been really impressed with that, and of course, that's given us an opportunity to spend more time together with this group, which is hugely important at this stage, not just because it’s a new manager coming in, it’s also a new group and new players.
“I'd be delighted if that was the case — it would mean that's the end of me having to pick up calls and answer my phone at all hours of the days! But yeah, we're in a good place.
“We’re four weeks away from the end of the window so we can’t rule anything out. If we need to add something or if something becomes available who we feel is right for the group, then of course we’ll be in a position to react to that.
“But right now the focus is most definitely on Saturday. There’s still three or four weeks for the group to take its final shape, but we’re happy with where we’re at.”
You can listen to the rest of Lee Grant’s press conference in full here, alongside a rough written summary of what was said in his first pre-match press conference.
Coming up next
Leyton Orient roared up the table from the relegation zone to the play-off final with a superb second half of the 2024/25 campaign, winning 4-1 at Huddersfield on the final day of the regular season.
Charlton Athletic claimed the final Championship place at Wembley, though, and Orient have since lost the influential Ethan Galbraith to Swansea City.
Orient have however bolstered their squad this summer, particularly in midfield and the final third. Their new signings include former Terrier Josh Koroma, Millwall forward Aaron Connelly, Oxford’s Idris El Mizouni, and Newcastle United loanee Joe White.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Josh Feeney is suspended this weekend following his red card on the final day of the 2024/25 season while playing for Shrewsbury.
Antony Evans suffered a knee injury in the pre-season friendly against Greuther Furth and is expected to be out until late September-mid October.
Lee Grant would not give further details on any other absentees but implied that Murray Wallace, Sean Roughan, and Mickel Miller were all hoped to be available to face Leyton Orient and that their absence from the past friendly or two was merely precautionary.
Marcus McGuane missed the Burnley game last weekend merely because it came so soon after his arrival at the club from Bristol City.
Jacob Chapman and Rhys Healey both missed the past few weeks of pre-season, including the trip to Austria, with injuries.
Predicted line-up to face Leyton Orient
The first line-up of a new season is always a tough one to call, especially without having the full picture of Town’s injury news or how Lee Grant may compose his bench.
We’ve gone for Murray Wallace at left-back here but it could equally be Sean Roughan, or at an outside chance, Ruben Roosken or Mickel Miller.
We’re fairly confident predicting Ryan Ledson, but less so who will partner him in central midfield, and there are particularly tough shouts to make at centre-forward and centre-back.
Your guess is as good as ours this week, basically — but since we have to predict…
3-4-2-1/4-4-2: Owen Goodman; Jack Whatmough, Joe Low, Murray Wallace; Lynden Gooch, Marcus McGuane, Ryan Ledson, Ruben Roosken; Marcus Harness, Ben Wiles; Joe Taylor.
Substitutes: Lee Nicholls, Radinio Balker, Lasse Sorensen, Herbie Kane, Mickel Miller, Bojan Radulovic, Alfie May.
Our schedule
We’ll have one more written piece for our lovely paying subscribers ahead of the game this weekend, and then we will settle back into our usual season-long routine.
That will include player ratings for all readers on the final whistle, followed by five conclusions on the season opener on Sunday morning.
The podcast will be out first thing on Monday morning for paid subscribers too, and we’re sure we’ll have further thoughts and reaction to give in the form of another written piece later next week.
If you’re not a paid backer of We Are Terriers, make sure you don’t miss out — start with a seven day free trial now!