Thursday 25 September 2008

Todorov and Ambrose fit

Svetoslav Todorov and Darren Ambrose took part successfully in a 'closed doors' reseve team run out against Southend United at Sparrows Lane yesterday.

Todorov is working his way back to full fitness following a cruciate knee ligament he suffered last season, while a hamstring problem had hampered his comeback bid. However he came through the behind-closed-doors match against the Shrimpers with no problems.

Darren Ambrose also came through the game unscathed following an opening to the season in which he has been restricted to substitute appearances for the first team following hip surgery over the summer.

Whether either of them will be used in the starting line up on Saturday is open to question. Todorov might be on the bench, although even that is doubtful, while Ambrose is likely to be restricted to an initial bench role.

I welcome the return of Todorov, because I still have doubts about Varney, although how Todorov would combine with Gray is an open question. Varney can certainly prise open defences with his pace, but does he have the clinical precision in front of goal that striker needs? Can he take the kinds of opportunistic chances that Gray turns into goals?

Another player I have doubts about is Lloyd Sam. Someone on the list rather harshly suggested that he had been cyrongenically frozen except for his brain. He does seem to have a problem with walking and chewing gum at the same time in the sense of keeping the ball at his feet and then knowing when and where to cross it. And at 23 he isn't a promising youngster any more so he can't be regarded as a work in progress.

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