Cobblers hope to get players back for Luton Town visit
Kevin Nolan hopes to have some players back for Saturday’s game against Luton Town.
Nine first-team players – Cameron McGeehan, Jack Burroughs, Max Dyche, Conor McCarthy, Jon Guthrie, Liam Shaw, Tom Eaves, Elliott List and Jack Vale – missed Tuesday’s defeat at Reading. Of those, McGeehan, Burroughs and McCarthy are thought to be the closest to returning.
"I'm hoping we might have some players back,” said Nolan on Tuesday evening. “We will take it as it comes and the next 48 hours will tell us a lot. We'll see how it goes but I’m delighted with where we’re at. I'm disappointed with tonight but we have a big game on Saturday. We're back at home and I want to get back to winning ways and I want to do it quickly so it's a big 72 hours before we play Luton.”
Nolan also expects to be given an apology from the authorities after Tuesday’s controversial defeat, or at least an acknowledgement that his side should have been awarded a first half penalty.
"I don't want it to be about officials, I want it to be about us, but I'll call it when I see it and I think that was a really, really poor decision, as were some others we've had recently,” Nolan added.
"I get that they will mistakes, I do, but that's an easy one tonight. The fourth official saw it. He didn't want to admit it. There is an assistant referee who's 15 yards away and if they can't make a decision between them, well, it is what it is.
"All we'll get is 'yes, looking back, on reflection it's a penalty' – oh thanks. I'm sure Hunty (Noel Hunt) would have gone ballistic if it was the right way around. He knows he got away with one and he's won the game and I'd be the same if it was the other way around. The officials have to get the obvious ones right. We've lost the game so we move on.”
Asked if he planned to go in to speak to the officials afterwards, Nolan said: "We're not allowed to show them the video, which I don't get, so there's no real point. We'll get a report back but it's strange not to be able to go in and show them and see what the reaction is. Will I go in? No. I might send Colin (Calderwood) though!”