Huddersfield Town digest: Stadium update, staff changes and injury latest

We examined the issue to determine the cause of the high number of injuries, and we made some adjustments to the personnel. That excites me.

They took a close look. Since I’ve been the owner of Huddersfield Town for the past two years, I can honestly say that I’ve never witnessed this many injuries in my whole career in football.

As a matter of fact, we have had a great deal of injury, and we are worried about what will happen as we approach the second half of the stretch in order to prevent further injuries.

“We have dispatched all of us. Our health is going to be excellent, in my opinion. Some modifications have been made to the way the players get ready.

 Michael Duff, on those changes to the medical staff, at his Thursday afternoon press conference

“Unfortunately somebody has lost their job so it’s not a nice thing to talk about. We don’t just pay lip service when we do look into it (the injury problems) and we do do certain things.

“There has been changes made on the sports science and medical side of it. I don’t want to get too much into it other than to say there have been changes so hopefully that will address it.

“It’s not that that one person is solely to blame because they’re not, they head up a department, but unfortunately when you’re heads of things these things happen.

“A lot of it has been bad luck but one thing we have had recently is too many hamstring injuries. That’s been the re-occurring thing so that’s been the thing that’s been investigated.

“Any supporters that know Kevin, he might live in a different part of the world but he’s got his fingers on everything and he knows everything and he wants to know everything as well, and he wants to know why — not because he’s being nosy but because he’s invested money and he wants to know where it’s going, how it’s being spent, why does this keep happening, who’s accountable for that.

“It’s the same as everything, obviously my job being the most obvious one, that with responsibility comes accountability. It’s an unfortunate part of the world because there are human beings behind the role as well.”

— Chief exec Jake Edwards, on where things are with the deal to take full ownership of the John Smith’s Stadium, on Huddersfield Hub:

“This is a fantastic stadium but it hadn’t had any investment for a long time for various reasons.

“We knew we had to be in control of this stadium and we are getting very close, closer than we have ever been. Hopefully next month we might have some news on that.”

Coming up next

Back-to-back home games for Town this week. Bolton Wanderers will pay their first visit to the John Smith’s Stadium since 2015 in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

The side’s inconsistent form this season led the club to part ways with manager Ian Evatt on Wednesday, with their 2-1 defeat to Charlton on Tuesday evening providing the final straw. Evatt had been the longest-serving manager in League One after joining in summer 2020. Youth coaches Julian Darby, Andy Taylor and Andy Tutte will take interim charge for Saturday’s game.

Town won the reverse fixture 4-0 in the league but fell to a 3-1 defeat in Horwich in the EFL Trophy last month.

Then it’s the big one: Birmingham City come to Town for what could be a massive clash in the promotion race.

Alfie May’s goal was the difference at St Andrew’s in October, when Town visited in the depths of a poor run of form and looked really good for the opening half hour of the game before fading away for the rest of the game.

Both sides come into the game in excellent form, with Town on a 16-game League One unbeaten streak ahead of the weekend and Birmingham ten games without defeat in the league, winning all but two of those ten

Huddersfield Town injuries and absences

Ruben Roosken is unavailable to face Bolton as he serves the third and final game of the suspension meted out for his debut red card against Rotherham. The left-back will able to return against Birmingham on Tuesday night.

Lee Nicholls was back from injury as an unused substitute against Blackpool at the weekend following his long lay-off with an elbow injury.

Rhys Healey made a surprise return in that game following his calf injury, playing the final ten minutes or so up front alongside fellow substitute Callum Marshall.

Lasse Sorensen is unlikely to start on Saturday but Michael Duff believes he should be able to play a part in the squad.

David Kasumu and Nigel Lonwijk remain out with a hamstring injuries. Michael Duff believes we’re looking at around two weeks more for Kasumu, three or four weeks for Lonwijk.

Mickel Miller is out until spring with an MCL injury, and Danny Ward is out for the season with an ACL injury.

Predicted line-up to face Bolton

3-1-4-2: Jacob Chapman; Matty Pearson, Tom Lees, Brodie Spencer; Jonathan Hogg; Ollie Turton, Antony Evans, Ben Wiles, Josh Koroma; Dion Charles, Joe Taylor.

Substitutes: Lee Nicholls, Radinio Balker, Lasse Sorensen, Joe Hodge, Herbie Kane, Rhys Healey, Callum Marshall.

Huddersfield Town Women

It’s the big derby for Town Women this Sunday as Leeds United visit the Stafflex Arena in a promotion fight six-pointer. Go on down and show your support, why not?

Town would leapfrog third-placed Leeds with a victory and still have a game in hand as they try to close the six-point gap to league leaders Cheadle.

Our schedule

Later today, I’ll write a post for our paying supporters in which I’ll ask how Town may close the gap on those much sought-after automatic promotion spots. I think the fact alone is quite impressive and worth the admission fee.

As usual, we will provide comprehensive coverage of the Bolton and Birmingham games, with player ratings for all readers at the whistle and five conclusions for our paying backers the next day. The same is true for Sunday’s women’s match.

Come Monday morning for the We Are Terriers podcast, with or without throat idiot David Hartrick, who at the moment has no voice at all.

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After the Birmingham game, I will (mainly) take a week off since I haven’t had any time off since June.

However, don’t panic; I’ll let David Hartrick and Arthur Difford, who are both extremely competent, guide you through the Northampton match and what appears to be a calm transfer deadline day on Monday, February 3.

Read more news on https://sportupdates.co.uk/