Lee Bowyer has his say on why Charlton lead the way for most team changes in League One

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Lee Bowyer reckons Charlton’s centre-back injury problems – plus a heavy transfer makeover of his squad – are behind Charlton making the most team changes in League One this season.

Broadcasters Sky Sports showed a graphic during Friday’s 2-0 loss to Accrington Stanley which showed that the Addicks manager had made 58 changes – four more than Milton Keynes. Their opponents had made the fewest – just 14.

But the South London club have had a number of their squad sidelined with Ryan Inniss and Akin Famewo depleting their options in the middle of their defence. Jason Pearce and Deji Oshilaja have both also spent time in the treatment room.

Midfielders Ben Watson and Andrew Shinnie are also currently out.

Charlton made the vast majority of their signings after the campaign kicked off – as they needed Thomas Sandgaard’s takeover to lift their transfer embargo.

Bowyer said: “If you think at the start of the season we hardly had any squad, did we? We signed 10 or 11 players once we were allowed to. So there are eight or nine changes straight away.

“A lot of the time we’re making changes because we have got to freshen it up when we play Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday. We’ve had injuries as well. I can name you five players who are coming back soon.

“I’d love to be able to play the same team. We had a settled back four and goalkeeper but then we lost two of them and had to find a different pairing. At times we played Pratley and Gunter at centre-half and they are not even centre-halves.

“Those are the reasons why ours is probably higher than others. And some players we have to look after more than other teams might have to in their squad. Jonny Williams and Chuks Aneke have to be looked after constantly – whether that is minutes or whether they start or come on. We have to look after them.”