Cox out again as Clarets take on Gillingham

Last updated : 07 February 2004 By Tony Scholes

Robbie Blake - ruled out with suspension
Coxy is struggling with an ankle injury and is ruled out of a return to Turf Moor just as he was for the cup tie a week last Saturday.

Gillingham are not the only side without players though and for just the second time this season the Clarets will start a game without leading scorer Robbie Blake in the starting line up.

Illness forced him onto the subs bench at Bramall Lane back in November but this time he is out suspended after collecting a fifth yellow card in that cup tie.

With Arthur Gnohere, who it appears has played his last game for the Clarets, the only other absentee there will even be a fight again for places on the bench with Alan Moore, surprisingly dropped last week, and Paul Weller returning from injury keen to win his place back. It is unlikely that the two unusable subs will be involved.

Brian Jensen has been away this week with his wife, it is believed that she may now have had the baby, and there were thoughts that Paul Rachubka could make his debut. But the Danish keeper was back at Gawthorpe this morning and looks set to keep his place in the side.

The one question on everyone’s lips is who will take the place of Robbie Blake and that should really be the only change from the side that drew at Wigan a week ago.

The two main contenders seem to be Luke Chadwick who is struggling to get a look in just now and new signing Bradley Orr who made a short debut as a late sub at Wigan. That will all depend on how Stan decides to play it and it would be no real surprise to see Chaddy come back in with the Clarets adopting a 4-5-1 formation with him and Glen supporting the lone striker Ian Moore.

Alternatively should Orr come in then Neil Wood, who impressed during the second half last week, could be pushed forward.

The money seems to be on a Chadwick return and that could see the Clarets line up:

Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Mark McGregor, David May, Mo Camara, Glen Little, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Neil Wood, Luke Chadwick, Ian Moore. Subs: Paul Rachubka, Dean West, Bradley Orr, Paul Weller, Graham Branch.

Gillingham once again travel north with the odd player missing from their squad and it could have been even worse when Darius Henderson was yellow carded for the fifth time in the cup tie. Hessenthaler though asked referee Graham Laws a civil question and the card was rescinded because of mistaken identity and Henderson will partner Patrick Agyemang the former Franchise striker who was cup tied on their last visit.

Henderson may well not be suspended but thug John Hills, the perpetrator of much of the trouble, is definitely out because of the card he received for the vicious attack on Robbie Blake.

The former Blackpool full back is not the only player unavailable to Andy Hessenthaler due to suspension, the ineffective Tommy Johnson was a 3rd player to collect a legitimate fifth yellow of the season in that cup tie.

Goalkeeper Jason Brown and striker Rod Wallace return to the squad after injury but besides Coxy and the two suspended players they are also without Nicky Southall (ankle), David Perpetuini (knee), their most impressive player in the cup tie Nyron Nosworthy (groin), Bertrand Bossu (knee), Matthew Jarvis (groin) and Mamady Sidibe who is on international duty with Mali.

Kevin James is expected to play right back and Gillingham believe his and Agyemang’s pace will seriously trouble the Clarets.

They certainly have more players than us and even with nine players out and loan keeper Nico Vaesen back at Birmingham they have still been able to travel with a squad of seventeen from which Hessenthaler will select his side.

That squad is: Jason Brown, Danny Knowles, Richard Rose, Leon Johnson, Chris Hope, Barry Ashby, Paul Smith, Danny Spiller, Andrew Crofts, Andy Hessenthaler, Kevin James, Alan Pouton, Darius Henderson, Patrick Agyemang, Darren Beckwith, Mark Saunders, Rod Wallace.