Huddersfield Town digest: Michael Duff on Michal Helik's future as new faces arrive
The centre-back has been linked with a move away from the John Smith's Stadium ahead of Saturday lunchtime's trip to Blackpool
What’s been said
— Michael Duff, on Thursday afternoon, explaining the club’s stance on Michal Helik’s future amid reports of a potential move to Championship side Oxford United:
“Misch is a good player who has played a lot of Championship games, so it’s a sign of doing well that people are going to be interested in your players.
“We had a conversation with Misch in the summer where a League One club came in for him and we said ‘we’re not selling to League One, if a Championship club makes a bid it’s a different thing’.
“But I can categorically tell you now that he didn’t miss the Wycombe game through any other thing than it was illness.”
— Michael Duff, on whether there may be more in and outs this month:
“Not just in the centre-forward department, I think we are fairly full.
“I’ll be having conversations with people over the next couple of weeks. It’s not a case that we have to offload people, but I’ll be having conversations that their game time will be limited, so if they want to further their careers…footballers are footballers and they want to play football.
… “It’s not like we have to get eight players out because we’ve signed a couple of players, it’s just telling them that their game time may be limited and that I think if they want to play football it might have to be elsewhere.
“… the other way people might leave [is] we might get bids. We’ve not turned anything down at the minute.
“There’s probably going to be no more in. We’ve got a squad of 25 now and they’re all first-team players, so you can’t keep them all happy and that’s where you’ve just got to tell the truth and say this is where it lies.
“If someone makes a bid for a player that we deem is a decent bid [we may consider it]…[but] until that happens, I don’t worry too much about it.”
— Michael Duff, on Thursday afternoon, on new signings Joe Taylor and Dion Charles:
“It was a good birthday from my point of view (signing Joe Taylor), thanks to the chairman for that.
“They’re two players that we think will add to what we’ve got. We spoke to Joe in the summer and were close to getting the deal done but as I’ve said previously, until they walk in the door and sign on the dotted line, you’re always subject to different things going wrong.”
“Joe’s a good age, ambitious, young, gives us threats that we don’t have in terms of blistering pace, and he’s got goals in him. The two clubs he went to last year, he’s scored goals in two different teams, two different divisions, two different formations.
“We wanted to bring him in this summer and we kept in contact with him, and I think the way the season’s panned out he gives us a dimension we don’t have — we can’t really stretch teams. The club have invested in him and hopefully it can work for all parties.
“Dion is very similar. Different age, more experience, proven at the level. He’s played in a similar formation to us over the past two or three years of years and has been one of the biggest pests to play against, not only with his goal threat but his pressing, his all round game.
“At Barnsley I think we played Bolton five times, and had Mads Andersen what I considered to be the best centre-half in the league comfortably, and Dion was the one who really gave him a tough time every time.
“So once we got an inkling it might be a goer and it might be doable, we jumped at the opportunity.”
Coming up next
Blackpool will play host to Town in Saturday’s 12:30pm kick-off.
Michael Duff described Blackpool as perhaps the ‘best side we’ve played this season’, but they have struggled for consistency since claiming a two-goal win at the John Smith’s Stadium back in September and sit 16th in the table.
Steve Bruce’s side have not won any of their past nine games at home in all competitions, with their last victory at Bloomfield Road coming against Burton Albion back in September.
Kyle Joseph has been the key dangerman for Blackpool so far this season, with eight goals and three assists in League One.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Ruben Roosken will serve the second game of his three match ban against Blackpool.
Michal Helik missed the Wycombe game unwell but has been available since then.
Brodie Spencer and Josh Koroma both departed the Wycombe game with knocks but are both absolutely fine and able to play.
Nigel Lonwijk is set to be out until February-March with a hamstring injury.
David Kasumu is expected to miss another couple of weeks with a hamstring injury.
Lee Nicholls has been out since September with an elbow injury, but is now fully available and has played for the B team. He is now back in contention to start but Duff has indicated he may now have to fight for his place.
Lasse Sorensen is in full training but this weekend may come to soon for him, according to Duff.
Rhys Healey remains out with a calf injury with no set return date.
Mickel Miller is out until March/April with an MCL injury.
Danny Ward is out for the season with a knee ligament injury.
Predicted line-up to face Blackpool
3-4-1-2: Jacob Chapman; Matty Pearson, Tom Lees, Brodie Spencer; Ollie Turton, Joe Hodge, Herbie Kane, Josh Koroma; Ben Wiles; Joe Taylor, Callum Marshall.
Substitutes: Lee Nicholls, Radinio Balker, Josh Ruffels, Antony Evans, Jonathan Hogg, Dion Charles, Freddie Ladapo.