We have had it tougher with injuries says Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill does not think there is a League One team that has dealt with the injury problems his Shrewsbury Town side have had this season.
Last week against Plymouth Argyle, Cotterill only had nine senior outfield players to choose from due to their injury crisis, and youngster Kade Craig ended his making his first Salop appearance at left-back.
The club have been on the back foot with injuries ever since George Nurse and Dan Udoh ruptured their ACLs at the early stage of the season.
Tom Bayliss was ruled for the rest of the campaign in March after damaging his ankle ligaments, and Rekeil Pyke has an Achilles problem, meaning he has not played since the away defeat at Ipswich.
More recently, though, Matthew Pennington and Christian Saydee have had niggles so the Shrewsbury squad has been down to the bare bones. And the Town boss does not believe any other League One team has had the back luck his side has with injuries this season.
He said: “I do not think there has been any team in the division that have had the crippling injuries that we have had.
“The only team affected by injuries anywhere near close to us this season has possibly been Accrington Stanley, but even they have a bigger squad than us.
“But if you have a look where having a bigger squad gets you, it gets where we have been in the last few years which is down there fighting to stay in the division.”
The team fought valiantly in their game against the Pilgrims only for a last-gasp strike in the 96th minute to deny them a well-deserved point.
And the Town boss says the spirit within the group is something that has helped them to get through the tough periods.
He continued: “That is where it has been a really good relationship, we are a very close-knit group. The players get total honesty out of me whether it is one way or the other.
“It has been tough there is no ducking or diving around.
“People outside will look at the results and that is all they will see as they have their own jobs and their own team.”
Preparations are no underway for Cotterill’s men as they welcome Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
