Goalkeeper and outfielders on the way back and Chesterfield boss embraces extra firepower
Goalkeeper Zach Hemming is close to getting the green light for a full-scale return to the Chesterfield ranks.
The stopper suffered a badly sprained wrist in pre-season, requiring an operation, and is due to see a specialist this week to get the all clear.
Manager Paul Cook welcomed that news and the progress of two more of his injured players.
Tom Pearce and Dylan Duffy are both back doing work on the grass and are inching towards returns, although striker Will Dickson’s season is still in jeopardy due to knee ligament damage.
Forward Ruel Sotiriou is also out injured but Cook has not specified for how long.
With players on the way back and the creative and forward ranks replenished by latest arrivals Joel Randall, Kiano Dyer and Louie Marsh, Cook is striking a more confident tone ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Barnet, who are second in the early League Two standings.
He said: "Let’s have it right, we spent the first few games without Sotiriou, Duffy and Dickson. That’s fire power and at this level every team carries fire power. We have been operating with 50 or 60 per cent of ours.
"We have now got really good players at the top end of the pitch and that is a threat my teams have always carried.
"I was a little bit disappointed because we were weak in terms of numbers for the first four games of the season.
"We went to Salford and Rotherham, really tough grounds, with not the changes I like to make, and that can be tough.
"Now we are weak no more. We have a squad in place that I really, really like.
"All we want now is time. Let the lads gel into the club and my belief is that we will hit the run that everyone wants to see at some point.”
After being critical of some of the negativity from the away end in the loss at Rotherham last Saturday, Cook praised the turn-out at the SMH for Tuesday’s draw with Gillingham.
"A pat on the back to our fans. To get more than 7,000 plus on a Tuesday night at the end of the holiday season was brilliant,” he added.
"I thought our lads were terrific and I really enjoyed watching us play.
"Certainly, we are creating enough chances to be putting more away so there will be more hard work on the training ground and more repetition, and we want our fans to get behind us because I feel it could be a really good season."