Harbin confident Cobblers can continue to stave off muscle injuries

Nothing can be done about impact injuries, but one of the key aspects of Town’s title-winning success in league two was the lack of muscle strains and injuries suffered by the squad throughout the season.

Then manager Chris Wilder employed Matt Prestridge to ensure that was the case last term, and he did the business.

Prestridge has followed Wilder to Sheffield United, but new Cobblers boss Rob Page moved quickly to bring Harbin with him from his previous club Port Vale.

Vale also had an excellent record on the fitness front last season, and Harbin os confident he will continue that good work at Sixfields.

“We have been lucky at the last two clubs I have been at, Port Vale and Plymouth, that it has been similar to Northampton last season in that we had very few injuries,” said Harbin

“A lot of that is how you manage your working week.

“I think the days have gone of the team playing on a Saturday and then having double sessions every day of the week and playing again the following Saturday.

“It is just really how you manage your time, and by all accounts they have a good medical staff here at Northampton, so I am looking forward to working with them.”

The Cobblers have been back in training since last Friday, and have a fully fit 20-man squad to utilise in Saturday’s opening pre-season friendly at Sileby Rangers (ko 2pm).