Strikers past and present are at the forefront of Huddersfield Town manager Mark Robins’ mind as he prepares for today’s clash at Birmingham City.
Robins reckons his side could well face old boy Lee Novak – and insists his top scorer James Vaughan has an outside chance of figuring at St Andrew’s.
And the boss, who watched Town’s Under 18s in last night’s FA Youth Cup fifth-round clash with Manchester United at the John Smith’s Stadium, says fit-again skipper Peter Clarke is pushing hard for a recall.
The chances of 12-goal Vaughan facing his home-city club today seemed slim when he hobbled off during the first half of Tuesday’s 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, but Robins says the outcome of tests on his calf injury is more encouraging than first feared.
Robins said: “He’ll be given every chance to prove his fitness.”
The manager reckons Novak, who notched 42 goals in four seasons at Town before his summer reunion with Lee Clark at Birmingham, will be back after being benched for the 1-0 defeat at Watford in Tuesday.
He added: “Lee is a good player whose attitude and workrate made him popular when he was here. He moved onto pastures new and has done well down there. He’s been rotated in terms of appearances of late, but I think there is a fair chance he will play against us.”
Clarke, 32, who has been an unused substitute in recent games, last featured in the 3-1 home defeat by Birmingham in November, when he sustained a knee injury which needed surgery.
It’s been suggested his time at Town, which began when he was signed from Southend by Clark in 2009, will end when his current contract finishes this summer, but Robins insisted: “There’s still a long way to go this season. Pete is a part of my squad, but like all players, he has to fight to regain his place. He has trained well and got back to a good fitness level and is desperate to return, but he needs minutes on the pitch.”
Monday afternoon’s development match at Leeds could provide an opportunity for Clarke, while Norwegian midfield signing Sondre Tronstad could also feature.
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