Steve Cotterill: Jab break will benefit Ethan Ebanks-Landell

The skipper has missed more than a month with a hamstring injury initially sustained after the defeat at Cheltenham on November 20, which was then tweaked a fortnight later early on at Carlisle in the FA Cup.

Including the tie in Cumbria, centre-half Ebanks-Landell has been sidelined for six matches. But Cotterill, whose side exacted revenge on Cheltenham with a home victory in the reverse fixture last weekend, is encouraged by the defender's progress ahead of a key Boxing Day clash at Fleetwood, who are on the same points as 20th-placed Shrews.

Cotterill permitted his squad a few day's leave after many players received a second or boosted Covid jab after last Saturday's game, with the boss keen to improve the vaccination rate in his ranks.

"Let's see how that goes," manager Cotterill said regarding fitness. "Ryan Bowman had only done one day's training, Aaron Pierre had only done two days, we need to assess how they are now.

"Hopefully the little break will help get Ethan back stronger. Hopefully that's OK.

"It might – if Tom is guilty – do him a favour having a little bit of a break, I thought it was getting to that point anyway, but he'd been training and Ryan hadn't.

"We were looking for Bowman to maybe play the last five or 10, no more."

Town will be without suspended teenager Tom Bloxham for at least three matches, should his red card for violent conduct against the Robins go without appeal.

But Salop were boosted by the return of key striker Ryan Bowman (hamstring) and defender Aaron Pierre (knee) from the bench against Cheltenham.

Cotterill's men gave one of their best halves of football this season in an impressive second half with 10 men against the Robins. Town managed to re-organise and were resilient throughout in a campaign where clean sheets have been few and far between.

"That actually pleases you more," Cotterill said of the way his side limited Cheltenham.

"Because that's the unsavoury, hard-working stuff that makes your thighs burn and (it's) whether you can do it again and replicate it.

"They are a good bunch, a fit bunch, a strong bunch. We haven't moaned about having any players not available over the last two or three games.

"We've just carried on and thankfully on Saturday we got the three points."