Injuries Force Changes to Squad to Meet Arsenal

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 26/11/2001

GRIMSBY TOWN face Arsenal tomorrow night with three key players injured and with manager Lennie Lawrence fast losing interest in the cup fixture with his mind directed to the Manchester City game at the weekend.

Pouton is out with an Achilles tendon injury, Michael Boulding has a hip injury, and Jonny Rowan is suffering with a sore back. Because of the injuries, midfielder Wayne Burnett will get his first start with Phil Jevons returning to the front line.

Other good news is that Campbell is fit and will be playing and Stacey Coldicott will also be involved.

Manager Lawrence had the squad at training on Sunday in preparation for the game and told the Grimsby Telegraph "We've got bods and we can cover it."

"Any planned rotation we had in mind has, for the umpteenth time, turned into the team picks itself scenario. I was certainly planning on some rotation with Saturday in mind."

"It's the Man City game that we need the bodies for. There might have been a bit of a change up the front with Jevons coming in anyway and maybe two games in four days would have been too much for them."

"Any thoughts of resting someone and playing someone else have gone out of the window. The adrenaline will get them through this one, it's the third one in the week, Man City, that we're thinking about."

"It's hard to prepare for because I don't know what he (Arsene Wenger) is going to do. Bergkamp and Wiltord will play along with Grimandi, and it's how we deal with the front two that will shape our chances."

Approximately 4,000 Grimsby fans will be traveling to the game with 3,900 tickets already sold.

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