‘We’ve got to just keep trucking’ – Charlton boss Jones on missing ‘big players’ due to injuries

Charlton manager Nathan Jones is not expecting any of their injured players to be back available for Saturday’s League One match at Exeter City.

The Addicks chief has described their list of unavailable players as “considerable”.

Lloyd Jones, Kayne Ramsay, Chuks Aneke, Dan Potts, Daniel Kanu and Tyreece Campbell have all been sidelined.

“We’ve not made a big thing about injuries, but they are considerable,” said the Charlton boss. “There aren’t many teams in our league that could cope with what we are coping with at the moment – and still demanding from the group, even though we have got a lot of big players out. Size, power, aggression, regulars…game changers.

“The group now are giving me absolutely everything. I’ve been delighted with them and we’ve kept picking up results. We’ve used the squad and people have had to step up.

“We’re in no better situation really. Gassan (Ahadme) has had another week but we’re in no better place in terms of selection than we were a week ago.

“We have just got to batten down the hatches and get through a tough period with injuries. Tough games come thick and fast. And there are some journeys. We won’t be seeing The Valley much, in terms of league action, in the next month. We’ve got to just keep trucking.”

But Jones does not put the injuries down to the intensity that he wants his Charlton side to play with.

“A lot of them are not muscular ones – we’ve had a variation,” said the Welshman. “Daniel Kanu was a late tackle and TC was a bad tackle – those are the ones we need to get rid of. Josh Edwards was a bad, bad challenge.

“It’s not about are we demanding too much. With the greatest of respect we have to manage Chuks, of where he is, and Kayne did a mechanism in his knee – that can happen. It’s just been one of those things.

“If we were picking up hamstring injuries because of the way we want to play then, okay, we’d have to readjust. But it’s not.”

Asked about timescales for the players unavailable, Jones said: “We’re making really good headway with TC, Chuks and, a little bit further down the line, with Lloyd. Then a little bit further down the line – hopefully not too far down the line – will be DK and Dan Potts.

“It’s ongoings. At the moment we don’t tend to put people into emergency situations or anything. We’ve got a big squad. A month ago I was probably leaving seven or eight out in the stands and now they are all called upon.

“It shows the application and professionalism they have shown to be outside of the squad and then come in to impact it. We’ve needed the squad in these recent weeks.”

PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS