Huddersfield Town digest: Worthington on his future, Spencer injury blow
All the latest injury news, key quotes and predicted line-up ahead of back-to-back home games against Mansfield and Wycombe
What’s been said
— Jon Worthington, on reports linking Town with making a permanent managerial appointment before the end of the season
“I think all my focus is onto the next game. I don’t look any further beyond that. Regardless of ten games or anything like that, I’ve just looked to each game and treated it on its own merit, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.
“I’m just focused on the next game.
“My stance has never changed. I was asked to come in and help, that’s what I’m doing everything possible to do. Nothing will change from that, regardless what happens at the end of the season. The facts have always been the same for me.”
— Jon Worthington, on what he wants to see his side do differently from Tuesday’s defeat to Lincoln:
“We’ve looked at the game, analysed the game, worked together on the training pitch, and worked on some different ideas about how, in certain situations, we can be more creative in those moments to get more opportunities.
“It’s combinations with the wide players and how they’ve been playing, and moving the ball through the thirds. Ultimately that’s what it’s about for us.
“We’ve got to play through teams and around teams. We can’t be direct, we’ve not got the profile of player to do that, but we’ve got the profile of player to have key moments and make good decisions. Those are the things we need to be better at.
“We know what we’ve got and what our strengths are, and as we showed against Crawley, we know that if we make the right decisions in the right moments and get our attacking players in areas where they can affect the game, we know we can do that, because we’ve done it.”
— David Kasumu, looking ahead to Saturday’s meeting with Mansfield:
“I feel like in football you’re going to have a rollercoaster season. We went through a period before October where we loads of games on the bounce and then went 16 games unbeaten, and before that there was some noise.
“We’re not miles away from where we need to be. We’re literally only a couple of points off.
“It’s not thinking two, three, four games ahead and worrying about the end of the season and all that sort of stuff. That’s been the talk today and yesterday: literally the next games, Mansfield, that’s what we need to focus on, and how we’re going to beat Mansfield and what we need to do.”
Coming up next
Mansfield Town looked like play-off contenders when the two sides met back in a 2-1 victory for the Terriers in December, but went on a long losing streak shortly thereafter and now sit 17th in the table.
Nigel Clough’s side have shown some improvement over the past month of so, though, winning two of their past three games and losing just two of their past seven.
The John Smith’s Stadium will then welcome Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday evening in an encounter that was rearranged from last month’s international break.
Third-placed Wycombe go into their weekend trip to nearby Reading just three points behind second-placed Wrexham with a game in hand and a superior goal difference.
Town’s 1-0 win at Adams Park courtesy of Herbie Kane’s goal makes them one of just four sides to have beaten Wycombe so far this season, along with Birmingham, Wrexham and Charlton.
Huddersfield Town injuries and absences
Jon Worthington has generally kept his card close to his chest on injuries, but did reveal at his Friday press conference that Brodie Spencer will be continue to miss out with a hamstring injury. The interim head coach indicated the extent of the injury is not yet known.
Worthington is however hopeful that one or two players may be back available for selection this weekend.
Those who have been out injured include Mickel Miller, who has been working towards a return from his long lay-off with a knee injury.
Dion Charles has been out with a hamstring injury since the eve of last month’s international break.
Herbie Kane was previously said to be out until mid-April with a knee injury.
Tom Lees continues to be monitored for a knee injury but remains out of action.
Chris Maxwell has an ongoing hip issue and Tom Iorpenda has a long-standing back issue.
Rhys Healey, Danny Ward and Nigel Lonwijk are all ruled out for the season.
Predicted line-up to face Mansfield
4-3-3: Lee Nicholls; Lasse Sorensen, Radinio Balker, Matty Pearson, Josh Ruffels; Ben Wiles, Jonathan Hogg, David Kasumu; Callum Marshall, Joe Taylor, Ruben Roosken.
Substitutes: Jacob Chapman, Ollie Turton, Antony Evans, Joe Hodge, Tawanda Chirewa, Josh Koroma, Freddie Ladapo
Huddersfield Town Women
Town Women will visit Doncaster Rovers Belles in the quarter-finals of the County Cup on Sunday afternoon.
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