Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones is sad about the absence of one of his players for their upcoming match against Derby County tonight.
Following a 2-1 defeat against fellow promotion contenders Barnsley last Saturday, Derby County needs to rebound by securing a victory against Charlton Athletic.
Although the Rams remain in a favorable position to secure promotion back to the Championship, the recent loss has widened the gap to seven points behind league leaders Portsmouth. Additionally, Bolton Wanderers have the opportunity to surpass them if they win their postponed match.
During the defeat to Barnsley, Paul Warne was without the services of top scorer James Collins for the second consecutive game. Despite Collins facing a prolonged period on the sidelines, the Derby manager has alternative options to fill the void.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing started as a central striker against Barnsley, but Warne has hinted at the possibility of giving Dwight Gayle his full debut after an impressive performance off the bench.
Furthermore, striker Martyn Waghorn, who has been sidelined with a calf injury since December, is back in contention for tonight’s match.
Although Derby’s attacking prowess receives a significant boost with these returns, their opponents face defensive setbacks as centre-back Lloyd Jones is suspended following his accumulation of 10 yellow cards this season.
Nathan Jones is ‘sad’ that Lloyd Jones is unavailable to face Derby County
Speaking ahead of the game, the Charlton Athletic boss expressed disappointment that Jones is unavailable, but believes it has created an opportunity for someone else to impress.
“It gives someone else a chance,” Jones explained. “That is what we have required of individuals. We have six centre-halves here. We have Michael Hector returning, Lucas Nessy, and Macaulay Gillesphey, who came on and played on Saturday. There is a cover.
“It’s unfortunate because Lloyd had been in fantastic form. He’s been active and has done an excellent job defending, but now someone else has a chance.”
Jones, a former England under-20 international, has appeared in all but two games for Charlton this season, demonstrating his value to the team.
The 28-year-old has dominated defensively, recovering 5 balls per game, making 4.3 clearances, and winning 68% of his total duels.
His likely successor is Macaulay Gillesphey, who joined on loan from Plymouth Argyle in January and has been substituted at half-time in two of his four starts.
Given Jones’ importance to the team, his absence for this encounter will inspire Mendez-Laing and Gayle to step forward as Derby look to regain their scoring touch.
However, Charlton have grabbed points from Bolton and Portsmouth in their last two games, so the Rams will want to avoid becoming the third promotion-chasing scalp they’ve taken.
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