Charlton Athletic boss on ‘gamble’ of not selecting a back-up goalkeeper in two recent fixtures

Nathan Jones has talked in more detail about not naming a goalkeeper on the bench for a couple of Charlton’s recent fixtures.

The Addicks only had Ashley Maynard-Brewer as a stopper for the 0-0 at Lincoln City earlier this month and the 2-0 EFL Trophy defeat to Orient.

Will Mannion, who had been sidelined due to injury, was back as cover for Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Mansfield Town at The Valley.

Jones was asked about who would step up to play in goal if there was an injury and nobody on the bench as back-up.

The Charlton boss said: “We’ve got a couple that will do that but we’ve also got a plenty who are over six feet.

“With Will not available we have just got a young lad, which is a gamble in itself. What we have done is put another positive player on the bench – an attacker, frontman or attacking midfield player. That can sometimes hurt you, if you get an injury to a goalkeeper then you can look a fool. If you don’t it gives you another option.

“We’ve just tried to be positive. Will is back now so that is something moving forward that we’ll think carefully about.

“We had Henri Lansbury at my previous club where he really fancied it, being a goalkeeper, and how good he was in possession. We haven’t quite got someone like that. We won’t do it every week but in recent weeks we felt it was something we could do.

“It (who Jones would turn to) is something we don’t want to give any information out. It’s a gamble – whoever goes in because they won’t have trained as that. It wasn’t done with any consideration of ‘we have a player that can play in goal’. It was a gamble that our goalkeeper doesn’t get injured. If he doesn’t then we’ve got an extra attacker on the bench.”

PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS