Huddersfield Town digest: Leo Castledine injury blow while two suffer setbacks
The Terriers will visit Bolton Wanderers in the first round of the FA Cup this Saturday before hosting Mansfield in the Vertu Trophy on Tuesday night
What’s been said
You can read our transcribed highlights and listen along to the entirety of Lee Grant’s press conference — as well as Joe Low’s thoughts ahead of the trip to Bolton — right here on We Are Terriers.
Coming up next
Well, we don’t really need to explain what Bolton Wanderers are about to you, do we?
Town will visit the Reebok Toughsheet Community Stadium for Saturday’s 3pm kick-off in the first round of the FA Cup.
Bolton claimed another last-ditch victory at the weekend as Amario Cozier-Duberry’s 94th minute curler from just outside the box earned Steven Schumacher’s side the full three points against Cardiff.
If the score is level at the end of 90 minutes, the game will go straight to extra time and, if need be, a penalty shootout. The second round will be played on the weekend of Saturday 6th December,
Town will then turn their attention to Mansfield Town in the final group stage game of the Vertu Trophy at Accu Stadium in Tuesday evening’s 7:45pm kick-off.
Victory for the Terriers would guarantee passage to the knockout stage alongside Harrogate Town.
A draw could also be enough for Huddersfield to progress, as long as at least one of these things happens:
1) Huddersfield earn an additional bonus point by winning the stupid gimmicky penalty shootout they hold after draws in the group stage (and Newcastle then fail to make up a seven-goal swing in goal difference)
or 2) Harrogate beat Newcastle United U21s the following Tuesday;
or 3) Newcastle draw at Harrogate but then lose the penalty shootout.
Defeat for Huddersfield would definitely see them eliminated.
We’ll have our full reaction to the Bolton game for our paying backers first thing Sunday morning (if not before), followed by the podcast as usual first thing on Monday morning. We’ll also have a reaction to Tuesday night’s game available for backers, so don’t miss out: get signed as a £5 a month member now, or start with seven-day free trial.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Alfie May will serve a three-match ban for his straight red card against Wycombe. That suspension will begin with Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Bolton, but does not apply to Tuesday evening’s Vertu Trophy clash with Mansfield, in which he will be eligible to play.
David Kasumu missed the trip to Wycombe with a calf issue and is ruled out for at least the next three games.
Antony Evans and Jack Whatmough have both had setbacks from their recoveries from knee and calf injuries respectively and will be also unavailable for at least the next few games.
Leo Castledine was forced off injured in that game after a nasty landing following an aerial collision, and has suffered bad bruising and ligament strains in his shoulder. He will not require surgery and the injury is not as bad as it was feared it could have been, but he will still be out for the next few weeks.
Radinio Balker had an injury prior to the last international break and was not fully fit but appeared for Suriname last month nonetheless. He is in training with Town now and ‘needs some minutes’.
Marcus McGuane is building up his fitness after missing nearly all of the season so far with a groin problem.
Will Alves (foot), Herbie Kane (groin) and Zepiqueno Redmond (knee) are all long-term absentees.
Predicted line-up to face Bolton
4-2-3-1: Owen Goodman; Lasse Sorensen, Josh Feeney, Joe Low, Sean Roughan; Lynden Gooch, Ryan Ledson; Ben Wiles, Marcus Harness, Cameron Ashia; Joe Taylor
Substitutes: Lee Nicholls, Radinio Balker, George Iorpenda, Ruben Roosken, Jay Sway, Dan Vost, Mickel Miller, Dion Charles, Bojan Radulovic.
Huddersfield Town Women
After their 4-2 win over Wythenshawe in the first round of the FA Cup, Town Women return to league action with a trip to Stockport County tonight (Wednesday) in a 7:45pm kick-off.
Stockport are level on points with third-placed Town having played a game fewer, the Terriers defence will need to be at their best against a side that has scored 25 goals in their past six games in all competitions.
Glen Preston’s side will then be at home to Chester le Street Town on Sunday afternoon at 2pm.
The County Durham side started the new season poorly with five defeats in a row in all competitions, but have won both of their past two away games in the league, against York City and Blackburn Rovers.
