HUDDERSFIELD Town boss Lee Clark has ruled Scott Arfield out of Saturday’s home clash with Oldham.
But the Town manager is hopeful the midfielder and fellow injury victims Damien Johnson and Calum Woods will be in contention for the visit of Brentford seven days later.
Arfield was absent from the matchday squad for only the third time in a league game this season when Town won 6-0 at Wycombe last Friday after damaging an ankle during preparations for the Adams Park clash.
Midfielder Johnson has missed the last five matches with a hamstring problem while full-back Woods has been out for four with an ankle injury.
“All three of them are making good progress, but the Oldham clash will come to soon,” reported Clark, who is also monitoring the fitness of winger Aidan Chippendale, who came back from his loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle nursing a hamstring strain.
While Oldham are reported to be keen to negotiate another loan for Town centre-back Nathan Clarke, the Galpharm chief says there has been no contact from Boundary Park.
The centre-back, who played 20 times for the Latics up to an including their 1-1 draw at Chesterfield on January 2, turned out for Town in yesterday’s development match at Middlesbrough, who won 3-2.
Clarke’s younger brother Tom has featured in three of the last four games after returning from a loan spell at Leyton Orient and Clark said: “Nathan played really well, he’s our player and as has been shown with Tom, the door is never closed.”
Matt Crooks and Chris Atkinson, who has been on loan at Darlington, scored Town’s goals in the game at Boro’s Rockcliffe Park training complex.
Antony Kay, Anton Robinson, Donal McDermott, Alan Lee and Tom Clarke also featured.
Development coach Steve Watson said: “Middlesbrough had a good side out, but we deserved a draw.
“It was good experience for our younger professionals.”
