Charlton Athletic selection boost ahead of Hull City fixture – as Bowyer looks to also boost key man’s fitness
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Lee Bowyer is looking forward to welcoming Tom Lockyer back for Charlton’s pivotal trip to Hull City on Saturday.
The centre-back has missed the last two matches – 4-0 and 1-0 reverses at Huddersfield and home to Middlesbrough respectively – after picked up 10 bookings.
But Wales international Lockyer is available again as the Addicks look for the result to take them out of the Championship bottom three.
“Tom has been one of our most consistent players this season,” said Charlton manager Bowyer. “So apart from this suspension he’s played every minute.
“It will be good to have him back in and around it.”
Naby Sarr has also been absent but with a calf strain.
“It might come a bit too soon for Naby,” said Bowyer. “He’ll either be back for Saturday or Tuesday – it’s one or the other.
“We’re trying to get Jonny [Williams] up to speed. He looked a little bit off it at the weekend, it’s just fitness.
“He was in such a good place before the injury, when his fitness is up. He looked a completely different player at the weekend. He just looked tired.”
Bowyer had given his players some tough talking at the break against Boro.
“What I said at half time is that they have got to step up and grab it,” he said.
“There is no point being scared or nervous of getting on the ball or nothing is going to happen. To be fair in the second half we did. They reacted, which is important.
“What we did in the second half, we need to go and do that for the 90 minutes.”
PICTURES BY PAUL EDWARDS