From bare bones to a 'good' headache - Chesterfield plan to 'enjoy' selection dilemma
It was only a couple of weeks ago when Chesterfield were down to the bare bones defensively.
With Chey Dunkley and Jamie Grimes injured, and Kyle McFadzean suspended, the Spireites were forced to play a half-fit Janoi Donacien and central midfielder Tom Naylor at centre-back against MK Dons. And throughout the season the middle of the park has been stretched with only two players to choose from, while Lee Bonis was the only available striker for a while.
But fast forward to now and the Spireites have strength in depth in all departments following seven new signings and players returning from injury. If Armando Dobra and Dilan Markanday are selected on the bench against Newport County on Saturday then there are going to be one or two other good players who miss out.
Chesterfield are done in terms of incomings now, with the focus switched to moving on one or two from a squad which, ironically, is a bit top heavy in some areas. But rather than worry about having too many players, given the situation they were in not so long ago, they are going to ‘enjoy’ it, said coach Gary Roberts.
He told the DT: "We have said this this morning. We have moaned in the coaching room that we are missing this player, missing that player. I said let’s enjoy having the pick of players where we have got headaches when sometimes we have been struggling to fill the bench. You would rather have a headache of picking the bench than having a headache of not having enough for the bench. We are in a really good place at the minute. We have probably had the biggest training group since pre-season which is positive for us."
Chesterfield sit eighth in League Two, but are only five points off second. They start a three-game week away at bottom club Newport County before a visit to fourth-placed Salford City which is followed by a home game against Walsall in third. By their own admission, the Spireites have drawn too many games (11), which is the joint highest in the division. But only leaders Bromley have lost fewer matches. With the squad they have got, it could be argued that there are no excuses now.
Roberts added: “We have got a 20-game season now. We feel like if we have got everyone fit we can have a good go at it.”