Six games without a win – but Lee Bowyer reckons there are plenty of reasons to praise his Charlton players

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Lee Bowyer has praised the attitude of his Charlton squad – and reckons the way his injury-hit squad is coping in the Championship reflects their positive approach.

The Addicks could be missing 13 players for Saturday’s home game against Sheffield Wednesday.

Charlton are winless in six league matches – taking two points from a possible 18 – but are missing star attackers Lyle Taylor and Jonny Williams. And Josh Cullen faces at least two months on the sidelines with ankle ligament damage.

Only Wigan have beaten the South London club by more than a one-goal margin this season.

Bowyer told the South London Press: “We’re so close. When we played Cardiff [a 2-2 draw last Saturday] they had their full side out and we were 2-0 up.

“I said to the players afterwards: ‘Look, we’ve got all these injuries and we’re still competing’.

“We’re not far off it and we’re only six or seven points off the top six. We know that if we did have those bodies then it would be different, we’d be up there still.

“The lads are giving me everything. There’s not much more we can do – we’re still in games and still competing. We’re not making fools of ourselves and that’s with all the players out.

“Let’s not forget that we’ve got the lowest budget [in the league] by a mile. We were competing and now we have got so many less players to work with and we’re still competing. It just shows what a good group we’ve got here.”