Cobblers could be without four full-backs against Rochdale

Cobblers boss Jon Brady could be without as many as four first-choice full-backs against Rochdale this weekend.

Ali Koiki will definitely be absent due to suspension after he was sent off against Walsall last weekend. Akin Odimayo, who can cover on both sides of defence, limped off with a hamstring problem in the second-half at Sixfields while regular right-back Aaron McGowan has missed the last two fixtures with injury.

Ryan Haynes has also not been involved recently – he was reported to have missed the Barrow game due to injury – and Harvey Lintott is lacking in match sharpness with his last start in any competition coming way back in October.

"We have sent AK for a scan and we are just waiting for those results to come back,” said Brady at his midweek press conference. "Once they come through, we will assess it and take it from there.

"We obviously lost both our wing-backs on Saturday. One was our own doing with the red card and the other was something that couldn't be helped, but we will just see on the AK one.

"It's really important to get another clean sheet, especially with all the injuries we have had on our back-line. Tyler (Magloire) came back in for his first 90 and I thought he played very well and the whole back three were excellent on the day.”

Should those players all be missing, Brady will have some thinking to do as Cobblers head to Greater Manchester.

He could either go back to a four-man defence with Sam Sherring or Tyler Magloire at right-back and perhaps Max Dyche, who played at left-back whilst on loan at Brackley, on the other side.

Alternatively, he could stick with the same back three that started against Walsall and play the likes of Sam Hoskins and Mitch Pinnock at wing-back.