Lee Bowyer asks questions about Championship fixture schedule ahead of West Brom-Charlton

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

A depleted Charlton Athletic face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday – with manager Lee Bowyer once again asking questions of the Championship fixture scheduling.

The table-topping Baggies played on Tuesday night.

Charlton were in action at Bristol City a night later – giving them 24 hours less to recover – as well as being on the road at the weekend.

The South London side have had their selection options majorly depleted by injuries to Lyle Taylor, Jonny Williams and Sam Field – the latter ineligible to face his parent club anyway.

West Brom striker Jonathan Leko also cannot play at the weekend.

Adam Matthews, Lewis Page, George Lapslie, Tomer Hemed and Ben Purrington have all been missing with muscle injuries.

“I just don’t get how they [the EFL] are doing it,” said Bowyer. “Our three games we have played on a Wednesday, the team we played on the Saturday always played Tuesday.

“That isn’t fair.

“Part of me is saying that all the teams are going to play four games on a Wednesday and four games on a Tuesday but the thing I don’t know is that when you play those three on the Tuesday do the team you face on the Saturday have to play on the Wednesday? If that is the case then that is fair.

“At the moment nothing is really going our way.

“They [West Brom] are a good side. They are going for the top two.

“They’ve got a good manager and good players. They have got the lad on loan from West Ham [Grady Diangana] as well, whenever he starts or comes off the bench he makes something happen.

“They have got players who can hurt you all over the pitch. It’s going to be hard but every game is hard. Last night was hard – we went to Bristol and should’ve come away with at least a draw. I can’t believe we didn’t get anything from the game. We just weren’t clinical enough. On Saturday we have to be more clinical – we had three one-on-ones and got in so many good areas.”