Chesterfield boss Paul Cook has 'big' decisions to make for Tranmere Rovers

The Spireites boss has a selection headache on his hands when it comes to deciding whether John Fleck, who made his first start of the season against Carlisle United in midweek and was voted man of the match, and whether Will Grigg, who started for the first time since December, can start again at Prenton Park on Saturday.

"Got to manage Griggy, we have got to manage John Fleck, with the three-game weeks and going into Gillingham on Tuesday. So it is a really big team selection tomorrow,” Cook said. “Tomorrow I am going to have to leave two or three players out that I don’t want to leave out.”

One player who will be in the squad is Kyle McFadzean. The experienced defender, who signed in January on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers, has been out for more than two months with a knee injury which looked like being a season-ender but he has been in training for the last two weeks and he will be in the matchday 18, Cook confirmed on Friday morning.

The Spireites are four points off the play-offs with a game in hand and Cook is mindful of having all of his best players available if they were to get in the top seven.

“It is massive,” Cook said of McFadzean’s return. “He was written off for the season. Anybody who knows Kyle knows the character that you are getting. He has come back ridiculously quick. He has probably been on the grass training now for two weeks. We don’t want to rush him back. We know what rushing players back does. If players break down now you have lost them. We have got to prepare for the season like we are going up, like if it is not automatic – which we can still do – we are going to go to Wembley. We have got to make sure we manage all our players with that belief.”

Like McFadzean, Harvey Araujo is edging closer to a return after a long-term injury which has resulted in the Fulham loanee not playing for three months. He is also training but this Saturday will come too soon for him. However, he will be in the squad for the clash against Gilingham on Tuesday night, Cook explained.

Opponents Tranmere are third from bottom, four points above the relegation zone, but they are much-improved under interim manager Andy Crosby. Being from Liverpool, Cook knows all about the Prenton Park club and he has a soft spot for them.

"It is a really hostile ground, it is a really good place to play football,” Cook added. “When the Tranmere fans get behind them it can be a really vociferous stadium and they can be a formidable challenge. I always watch them from afar, they are a club I enjoy, like and I want them to do well. We are going into a really difficult game of football because Tranmere will be bang up for the match.”