Sherring admits he took a 'gamble' by starting against Sutton but he was desperate to help Cobblers

Young defender Sam Sherring admits he took a ‘bit of a gamble’ by returning early from injury to play 90 minutes against Sutton United on Tuesday but he only did so to help Cobblers in their hour of need.

Town’s injury crisis deepened yet further before the game when captain and key defender Jon Guthrie was ruled out for the rest of the season with an issue sustained during Saturday’s goalless draw against Carlisle United.

Manager Jon Brady may have been forced to play midfielders Jack Sowerby and Shaun McWilliams alongside David Norman at centre-back at Sutton, but Sherring climbed off the treatment table and not only started but got through the full 90 minutes.

"You'd have to ask the medical team in terms of how much of a risk it was but it was my decision to play,” said the 22-year-old afterwards. "I just wanted to give it a go and if it was going to be sore then I would have come off, but I wanted to help the cause.

"Maybe it was a bit of a gamble but I back the way I look after myself and the way I live and my professionalism and the work the physios have done with me. You just forget about it when you're playing anyway. The adrenaline gets you through it – you could probably play through a broken leg!”

Coming back early from injury can heighten the risk of the problem reoccurring but Sherring was feeling positive in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s win, although it was too early to say whether he’ll be able to start on Saturday.

"I'm fine,” he said. “I feel a bit tired but our medical staff are really good. They keep us as fit as possible when we are injured so we can come back quickly and perform.

"I wanted to help out the team. Guths got injured on Saturday and maybe it was a bit early for me to come back in but I try and look after myself and I always give my best.

"Hopefully I'll be fit for Saturday. I feel fine. I'm a bit tight and have a bit of cramp but that's going to happen because I hadn't played in a while. I'll probably spend all day tomorrow in an ice bath to make sure I’m ready for Saturday.”

Louis Appéré’s 32nd-minute opener was cancelled out by Donovan Wilson in first-half stoppage-time, but Cobblers weren’t going to let that setback derail them, with Mitch Pinnock bagging the winner.

"Not much was said at half-time to be honest,” added Sherring. “We never really get too excited or too down in there. We have come through a lot of adversity this season with all the injuries so we didn't get too down about the goal.

"We know if we play our game we will get chances and score goals and we did that. We took it in our stride and carried on and that's the way to do it.

"The scenes at the end were brilliant and the fans were unbelievable. We want to have more of that and hopefully we will do.”