Was it a gamble to start Igor Vetokele against Scunthorpe? Lee Bowyer answers that question

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Lee Bowyer wanted Igor Vetokele to play in Charlton’s 4-0 win over Scunthorpe United – to prevent the Angolan striker from losing match sharpness.

The forward sat out the Good Friday defeat at Oxford United due to a tight hamstring.

But Vetokele was back in the starting line-up against the Iron – and scored in the second half.

He was replaced by Jonny Williams in the 66th minute.

Vetokele scored in back-to-back league games – something he has not achieved for Charlton since February 2015.

“We were only going to play him for 60-70 minutes today, no matter what,” said Bowyer.

“My worry was, if I don’t play him today then he isn’t going to play for two weeks. And he’s going to lose fitness. We’ve worked so hard to get his fitness to where it was before, for Luton.

“To lose it for two weeks, then we’re chasing – and I didn’t want to do that. Give him 60-70 minutes today – he’ll have got a hell of a lot out of today, especially on a warm day as well.

“And he’s come through it fine. Was it a gamble? No, he trained fully yesterday. The physio said he was fine. That was my decision. Could it have gone wrong? Yeah. But I think it is a benefit for him now he has got the 60-70 minutes under his belt.”

PICTURE BY PAUL EDWARDS