Paul Cook kept his cards close to his chest wth regards to team news for the game against Accrington Stanley.

The Spireites return to league action this weekend hoping to extend their unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions. Accrington are also much-improved in recent weeks.

Goalkeeper Ryan Boot has been out for a month with a wrist injury but he has been pictured back in training on the club’s social media channels this week. Defender Chey Dunkley, who has also been missing for a month, was due to have another scan to assess the progress on his neck injury. On-loan Dilan Markanday is available for selection again after his parent club Blackburn Rovers did not give Chesterfield permission to play him in the FA Cup.

Understandably, Cook preferred to be tight-lipped so as not to give anything away to Saturday’s opponents.

He told the DT: “We just keep it to ourselves, in my opinion it is not the forums, these ones, for discussions on players. We have got a very strong team going onto the pitch tomorrow. We have had a full week’s training and we are really looking forward to the game.”

Accrington have climbed out of the relegation zone and up to 20th after collecting some positives results against teams near the top. Defeats in between to the likes of MK Dons and Tranmere Rovers have been by narrow scorelines. They have a new manager in John Doolan, who was appointed on a permanent basis after an initial interim spell at the end of last season.

Cook, who was once in charge of Stanley 12 years ago before joining Chesterfield, said Saturday's opponents will be ‘licking their lips.’

He explained: "I am really pleased for John (Doolan). It is his first job and a really hard act to follow, without a shadow of a doubt, with what John Coleman achieved at that football club. It will only be in time where John’s tenure, with five years I think it was in League One, will really be appreciated. I think John (Doolan) is doing a smashing job. They had a really tough introduction, nine games without a win, and for any young manager that can be really tough. But they have got themselves going now, they are in every game, they had a great result against Walsall, they won at Gillingham. It is a club I have a lot of respect for and that I have managed. I know exactly what goes on within those buildings and I know exactly how much they will be looking forward to the gam tomorrow, they will be absolutely licking their lips.”

Chesterfield, who are four points off the automatic promotion spots, could jump up a place to fifth with a victory on Saturday.