Curle relaxed over Cobblers' long injury list

Keith Curle is not overly concerned by his side's continued injury problems despite the prospect of being without up to six players this weekend.

Injuries have not been kind to Northampton in the early stages of the season with numerous key men absent for their opening few games of the campaign.

Joseph Mills' return to the bench at Ashton Gate on Wednesday was a welcome boost but Curle remains without at least five players going into Saturday's League One game at Shrewsbury.

The severity of Harry Smith's leg problem suffered at MK Dons has yet to be established while Joe Nuttall and Nicky Adams are closing in on a return, but Shaun McWilliams and Scott Pollock remain a couple of weeks away.

Luka Racic was also taken off at half-time against Bristol City and Ricky Korboa did not feature in the matchday squad for the EFL Cup second-round tie.

"I had a meeting with the strength and conditioning and the medical department earlier this week and it wasn't so much about the concerns of the injuries, it was more about what we've been doing," said Curle.

"Have we been doing enough? Have we not done enough? Is there anything else we could and should be doing? Have the players had too much work? Have we been resting them correctly?

"But it's purely down to fatigue and that's not to mean we're not fit enough. We've had a short break and now we're coming back in and we've played a bank of games Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday.

"It's about the load and the stress that it puts on players. The likelihood is, give us four or five competitive games, and then throw in another bank of games, you'll find that players will be able to withstand the stresses a lot easier.

"Premier League teams are struggling with fatigue and injuries even with everything that they've got in terms of their facilities. Give it two, three weeks of playing competitive games and resting and recuperating and we will become more robust and we'll be able to withstand the loads better."

Curle was relatively upbeat following his side's loss at City, adding: "There are positives to take out of the game and I was able to rest some players that I could have put on and given them minutes but the league is the priority.

"We've had a bank of games now so we've had to be slightly protective with the squad, even considering the injuries. Eight players are out but we're still able to protect others."