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Injury niggles could hinder plans for an Albion dress rehearsal [The Argus]



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Jun 5, 2011
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Chris Hughton's hopes of using Lazio’s visit today as a full-scale dress rehearsal for Albion’s Championship opener at Derby County six days later have been hampered by further injury niggles.
That was the initial intention for the showpiece friendly against the Italians following Tuesday’s 4-0 win at Oxford United.
Dale Stephens and Liam Rosenior, who both went off nursing knocks at the Kassam Stadium, took part in an in-house match on a shortened pitch during a training session open to supporters at the Amex on Friday.
Burnley transfer target Stephens, his left knee strapped, cannot play at Derby as he completes a three-match suspension for his red card in the promotion decider at Middlesbrough at the end of last season.
Steve Sidwell, his probable replacement at the iPro Stadium, worked on the sidelines with the physios on a minor knee issue which has ruled him out of the recent warm-up matches.
Hughton will be without long-term victims Uwe Huenemeier (groin) and Solly March (knee), although both are making good progress.
Connor Goldson is also likely to miss the big kick-off. Knee damage sustained on the pre-season training camp in Tenerife has ruled him out of every friendly.
He is not alone. Back-up midfielder Richie Towell’s bid to make an impact during the warm-up programme has again been ruined by a knee problem, caused by the Irishman’s desire to be in top shape when the players reported back.
Hughton said: “Connor is not so far away. He will miss out on Sunday. We’re pushing him as hard as we can.
“Steve didn’t train. He will be touch and go (for Lazio) but that’s certainly not one that’s an issue.
“Solly and Uwe are going to take a little bit longer, and Richie Towell. Unfortunately for him he started pre-season very well and it’s a little bit of a precaution.
“He’s felt his knee a little bit, so we’ve taken him down a peg or two. Hopefully he’ll be back soon.”
A further concern surrounds first choice goalkeeper David Stockdale. Plagued for most of pre-season by an infected toe, he was eventually forced to withdraw from the open training session with a sore hip.
Overall, of the 24 players given squad numbers, six have injuries of varying degrees.
Only 16 outfield players are injury-free, a figure which includes fringe trio Rohan Ince, Danny Holla and Elvis Manu.
Hughton, not surprisingly in the circumstances, has embraced the development squad’s participation in the controversial revamp of the Football League Trophy.
With the abolition of the emergency loan system, the onus is now greater than ever before for under-23s in the care of Simon Rusk to be capable of stepping up to senior duty if required.
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*Hughton said: “A lot of Premier League clubs are involved in it. We had the opportunity and grasped it. It will be a great challenge for our under-23 squad. The chairman has been very keen to make the level of our group just underneath the first team group as strong as possible.
“The club have made big strides with that over the last couple of seasons.”
Former Motherwell prospect Ben Hall could feature in the squad against Lazio and Derby, considering the centre-half shortage created by the absence of Goldson on top of Huenemeier and the release of Gordon Greer at the end of last season.
Blackburn Rovers have so far resisted Albion’s attempts to buy their Republic of Ireland international Shane Duffy.
Rovers boss Owen Coyle, who yesterday confirmed a bid by the Seagulls for Duffy had been turned down, finds himself in a similar situation to Hughton.
Stephens and partner Beram Kayal are into the final year of their contracts at the Amex, likewise Duffy and winger Ben Marshall at Ewood Park.
Coyle, who eventually lost Grant Hanley from the centre of his defence to Newcastle, said: “I totally understand when players have a year of their contract to go. I’ve come into that situation.
“You deal with that as best you can. I’ve told the players I want them here, I want the Duffys and Marshalls to play the club for many years to come.”
For Albion, Rovers and the rest, uncertainty over the shape of their squads has another month to run until the transfer window closes.
In the meantime, Hughton has been preparing his players as best he can for the challenge ahead.
“(Friendly) Results could have been better but that’s certainly not the most important thing,” he said. “You just hope you can start the season where you want to be but it’s always difficult to know. With the first league game the intensity and meaning changes.
“I thought the Oxford performance was probably our best of pre-season, so it’s nice to think you are making progress in a way of playing and conditioning.
“It’s good to have a really good test.*You want to be challenging yourself, because you know the stakes get higher in that next game.”

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