Cobblers face hardest friendly challenge against West Brom
Stuart Gray sends his Cobblers side out for what will definitely be their hardest game of the pre-season campaign tonight.
Town play host to newly-promoted Premier League outfit West Brom at Sixfields in their final outing before the big kick-off against Cheltenham a week on Saturday.
Gray will once again be without striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, who is back in training after having fluid drained off a burser injury but will not be risked.
A similar 'softly-softly' approach is being taken with club captain Chris Doig, but he is expected to play around an hour of the game.
Luke Guttridge will also get another chance to impress on trial, with Gray's message to the playing being to use this game to help focus on the curtain-raiser against the Robins.
"I would think this will be our hardest game of the pre-season," said the manager, who may also give some game time to defender Matt Halliday, who is also on trial at Sixfields.
"When we played them last year we had to use it as a training exercise because we kept just having to chase after the ball.
"West Brom will come and give us an entertaining game but we've now got to start getting focused for the ninth.
"We can't just think we're going to turn up on the ninth and just expect it to happen, we've got to make it happen."
Akinfenwa won't be risked tonight but the club have a behind-closed-doors friendly arranged to fill the space between this game and August 9, and he will be involved in that.
Gray confirmed he is planning his side for Cheltenham to include the big number 10, although he stressed the place may become available.
"The specialist said it would be five days from when he originally had the injection before he could train," he said.
"He had the injection last Thursday so he should be okay to train but he won't play tonight.
"We will have to have a look at him in the training game we've got planned between now and the Cheltenham game."
And he added: "I'm confident he'll be fit for the first game. There are still places up for grabs. In my mind I've got my team and Bayo would feature in that.
"But if he's not fit then that will free up a place for someone else."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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