Scunthorpe United FC

Interim first team manager Michael Nelson has previewed Wednesday night's National League home fixture against Halifax Town.

Saturday’s fixture against Solihull Moors was postponed due to a frozen pitch, and the boss started by discussing how the lads dealt with this.

He said: “They had some stuff to do away from the club while they were at home. The pitches were frozen so we wouldn’t have been able to get in and get any work done. They had a recovery day on Sunday, and then we’ve had two good days on the training pitch preparing for Wednesday's game.”

He continued to speak about the postponement: “It was disappointing that the game was off after we’d done all our preparation for it. There were some teams that left it later than Solihull did, so it was good that we didn’t get on the bus, as the lads got a bit of time to get an extra session in, even if it was at home.”

Ahead of Wednesday's fixture, Nelson provided an update on the fitness of the squad, adding: “There are no fresh injuries. Marcus Carver and Fin Shrimpton are still out but everyone else is back so we’re good to go.

“Liam Feeney will travel with the group on Wednesday, and we will assess him and see how he is with a view to whether we include him in the 16 or not.” 

The game will be shown live on TV, and Nelson spoke about how this coverage impacts the game, saying: “I think it adds another dimension. Everybody lifts their game when they’re on TV as it’s a good chance for the lads to showcase their ability and what they’re about. Hopefully, we will get a bit extra out of the players and put in a really good performance.” 

On the opposition, he said: “They’re good, they can mix it well in terms of they can go direct into the striker, or they can get it down and play from the back to try and hurt you by going through the thirds. They’ve got a good mix so we have to be on our toes and on the front foot to try and make sure we get something out of it.”

Finally, the boss spoke about Caolan Lavery, who left the club as his short-term contract expired this week. He said: “He’s been great in his time here, not just on the pitch, but day-to-day around the building. He’s a real positive character, well liked by the lads and the staff, so we wish him well and hopefully he’ll go and score a lot more goals this season.”

See more from Michael Nelson and Colin Daniel on Iron Player.