The Iron’s interim manager Michael Nelson has previewed this weekend's National League fixture as the Iron travel to the Midlands to face Solihull Moors.
The boss started by looking ahead to Saturday's game, saying: “It’s going to be a different game to Woking. They’re quite expansive and they like to play and build from the back and pass through the thirds. It should be a pretty open game with a lot of football being played, and this is what we’ve prepared for. Hopefully, we’ve done enough preparation to go there and get a result.”
Solihull are coming into the game on the back of five straight defeats, and he added: “Some people would say it’s a good time to play them, but it could be the case of the wounded animal. They’ll definitely be thinking that they should be beating us, especially considering our away record and position in the table.”
The gaffer then spoke about how the team have trained in the week gone by, saying: “It’s been good. The weather has been a little disruptive, causing some issues with the training pitch freezing over, so we’ve had to adjust our times and train a little later in the morning, but training has been good. We’ve got what we needed to get done, the lads are upbeat, and we’re getting ready to have a good day on Friday ahead of the game on Saturday.”
Nelson then provided an update on Fin Shrimpton, who's had an x-ray after coming off at half-time against Woking last weekend: “The x-ray came back clear so we sent him for an MRI to check for any soft tissue injuries, and that came back with a sign of a damaged ankle ligament. We’re looking at around the six week mark, depending on how he reacts to the first few weeks of treatment. It’s a blow for us and for Fin, but it’s an opportunity for someone to come back in and cement their place in the team.”
Shrimpton has been a consistent name on the team sheet in recent weeks, and Nelson elaborated on how the midfield will miss his presence. He said: “He came in at Yeovil, and was pivotal in us getting a clean sheet on that day. He’s done very well since then, his own personal performances have improved the longer he’s been in the team, and the fans get a bit of a buzz from him as well. He’s picked that injury up now and it’s disappointing for Fin and for the team as well.”
Next, the boss provided an update on Marcus Carver's groin injury, saying: “He needed three injections, and he had his last one on the Monday just gone. We had to shut him down and not do anything after that injection so he’ll be with the physios and we’re probably looking at quite a lengthy amount of time for him as well.”
Updating on Liam Feeney's progress in returning from a hamstring injury, Nelson continued: “He got the green light to come back in training full-time. The specialist saw him on Monday, he trained full on Tuesday and Thursday. There have been no ill-effects and he’s looked good and his numbers in training have been very good.
“He’s been a little bit frustrated with himself with the rustiness. He’s got high standards and when he can’t meet those high standards, he gets frustrated. As the sessions go on, he’s going to get more comfortable and better and as the days go by, he’s catching the group up. We expect to have him back in for selection soon.
“Halifax (away next Wednesday) might come too soon, with the amount of sessions we’ll get in before then. I wouldn’t rule it out completely. For all the physios tell you where they are, and the data you look at, the players know their bodies more than anybody else. I’ll have a conversation with Feens and see where he is.”
Caolan Lavery’s contract with the Iron is set to expire following this Saturday's game. Nelson offered an update on the Iron attacker in Thursday's press conference, saying: “Myself and Lee (Turnbull, Chief Operating Officer) spoke to Lavery on Tuesday after training. He was in discussion with his agent on Tuesday and Wednesday, assessing his options, and there’s been nothing new to report. Once he’s made a decision he will let us know. On Thursday, I’ve let him just focus on Saturday's game, and hopefully he can go and perform as well as he has been and get us the result. We’ll take it from there.”
Finally, the Iron interim manager spoke about Under-18s goalkeeper Ewan Oxborough, who suffered an injury in the warm up last weekend, saying: “We thought he had broken his thumb, but he dislocated it. They managed to relocate it up at the hospital so it’s just a matter of pain management now and making sure it settles down. Once he can cope with the pain he will be able to get back into training.”
See more from Michael Nelson and Cameron Wilson on Iron Player.