Huddersfield Town digest: Pearson injury blow as Roosken gets scan results
Centre-back Matty Pearson missed Saturday's draw with Reading and is set for an extended spell out, but there's better news than feared on Ruben Roosken
What’s been said
— Jake Edwards, at the fan Q&A, on where things stand with the club’s attempts to take control of the John Smith’s Stadium: (Full transcript here.)
“We've made great progress. The partners we work with - council and and the Giants - have been super to work with, and we've been working towards a solution that is right for the three stakeholders.
“As we sit here today, I think we're closer than we've ever been. We're in broadly in agreement on what the future should look like and how we get there. Where we sit today is the sort of final process is with the solicitors. I've learned more about stamp duty and land tax than I ever thought I would ever have to know as a working in a football club. Tax advisors and solicitors are going through all the documents and the paperwork now.
“So I hope, I think, we're in the final stages of what has been quite a long substantive journey and throughout Kevin [Nagle] has been unwavering about, regardless what division — League One, Championship, Premier League — the goal is to bring the stadium to the football club.”
Coming up next
Barnsley come into Saturday’s game looking just as out-of-sorts as Town, claiming just one point from their past four games and sliding down to 10th place in the League One table.
David Keillor-Dunn has been the danger man in front of goal this season and enjoyed a particularly productive spell over the Christmas and new year period. His late consolation strike away to Stockport last weekend took him into double figures for League One goals this season.
Town won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the John Smith’s Stadium back in October thanks to late goals from Ben Wiles and David Kasumu. The two sides faced off again in the EFL Trophy just three days later; Freddie Ladapo and Danny Ward were on the scoresheet on that occasion.
Town will then visit Shrewsbury Town in a rearranged fixture that was originally set to be played in January but was called off due to a frozen pitch.
Shrewsbury have hit in a more positive run of form since then, taking seven points from their past three games to climb off the foot of the table and put themselves just three points away from safety going into their weekend home game against Bolton Wanderers.
John Marquis and Taylor Perry have both been among the goals recently, chipping in a couple each to help Gareth Ainsworth’s side get victories over Mansfield and Rotherham and a respectable point away to Reading.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Matty Pearson is set to be out for around six weeks with a torn calf.
Ruben Roosken has seen a specialist about his knee injury and has received the relatively positive news that he faces 2-4 weeks on the sidelines. The club had feared he might be out for the season.
Nigel Lonwijk and Joe Taylor are both training with the physios as they recuperate from their respective hamstring injuries. Centre-back Lonwijk is expected to be the next Town player back available but is still looking another week or two before he can return.
Mickel Miller is back in individual training but still has a long way to go in his recovery from an MCL injury.
Danny Ward and Rhys Healey are both ruled out for the season with knee injuries.
Predicted line-up to face Barnsley
4-3-3: Lee Nicholls; Lasse Sorensen, Tom Lees, Radinio Balker, Brodie Spencer; Herbie Kane, David Kasumu, Ben Wiles; Callum Marshall, Dion Charles, Tawanda Chirewa.
Substitutes: Jacob Chapman, Josh Ruffels, Ollie Turton, Joe Hodge, Jonathan Hogg, Josh Koroma, Freddie Ladapo.
Huddersfield Town Women
Town Women will make their own trip to Barnsley on Thursday evening hoping to get back to winning ways after a run of three league games without a victory. Barnsley come into the game hot off a South Yorkshire derby victory over Doncaster Rovers Belles that has lifted them away from the drop zone.
Glen Preston’s side will then host Handsworth Ladies on Sunday afternoon in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Cup