Boxing Day comes early

Pavel Suhaj

Dario G has added six new players to his squad ahead of the new season although two of them are ruled out because of injury and red tape. Luke Rodgers was once sought after by top clubs when he first won his place in the Shrewsbury side and he’s finally taken the step up. However, he will miss out on the opening match with an ankle injury.

Another striker will almost certainly sit it out too – that’s Pavel Suhaj who has been signed from AS Trencia. Although the Slovakian signed over three weeks ago Crewe are still trying to break through the red tape that is called international clearance. Without it, he simply cannot play.

One new striker who will play is Spaniard Juan Ugarte who came on a Bosman from Wrexham. Ugarte took League One by storm last season with a number of outstanding performances, scoring four and five goals in games. He is likely to be partnered by Eddie Johnson who is with Crewe on loan from Manchester United.

Other signings are Matt Bailey from Stockport and a second loan player in Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough.

Team News

Besides Rodgers and Suhaj Crewe also have a doubt about Chris McCready who looks set to be ruled out with a knee injury.

Dario G is expected to name his side from: Ben Williams, Darren Moss, Adie Moses, Richard Walker, Stephen Foster, Kenny Lunt, Billy Jones, David Vaughan, Juan Ugarte, Eddie Johnson, Luke Varney, Justin Cochrane, Gary Roberts, Paul Bignott, Steve Jones, Michael Higdon, Mark Rivers.

Click HERE to see Crewe's full squad.

For Steve Cotterill the main concern has been Danny Karbassiyoon who has not played since his twenty-five minute run out at Cheltenham three weeks ago. His injury has not cleared up and he has been ruled out which reduces the squad to thirteen full time professionals.

Or does it? Suggestions are that young Irish player Chris McCann, who did so well against SV Wacker Burghausen last week, has signed a full time deal with the Clarets.

He’ll be in the squad as will Kyle Lafferty who is currently back in Northern Ireland and could feature in the Milk Cup Final there tonight.

Other doubts have centred around Michael Duff, Wade Elliott and Micah Hyde but it looks as though all of them will be fit although I suspect Duff might have to settle for a place on the bench.

The big question is who will play in goal and I’m certainly not going to try and settle this particular one with my team selection and I suspect that we will line up: Danny Coyne or Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair, Wayne Thomas, John McGreal, Graham Branch, Wade Elliott, Micah Hyde, James O’Connor, Garreth O’Connor, Gifton Noel-Williams, Ade Akinbiyi. Subs: Danny Coyne or Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Chris McCann, Mark Yates, Kyle Lafferty.

Last Time

If Boxing Day has come early this time around then last season it was late. The game was called off on the original day and was played in February. It all ended in a 1-1 draw but it was a game we should have won and a game we dominated at times.

Incredibly we fell a goal behind and came back with a rare Tony Grant goal but just as it looked as though we would go on and win it the floodlights failed and the game never recovered from it after the delay.

The game saw Pete Whittingham make his Burnley debut and it was probably his best game in our particular claret and blue.

The teams were,

Crewe: Clayton Ince, Chris McCready (Neil Sorvel 78), Stephen Foster, Colin Murdock, Anthony Tonkin, Justin Cochrane, Lee Bell, Kenny Lunt, Steve Jones (David Vaughan 77), Andy White, Luke Varney. Subs not used: Ben Williams, Michael Higdon, Mark Rivers.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, John Oster, Micah Hyde, Tony Grant, Pete Whittingham, Jean-Louis Valois, Graham Branch (Ian Moore 85). Subs not used: Danny Coyne, Gary Cahill, Joel Pilkington, Matt O’Neill.