Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper said the four changes he has made to his side’s starting line-up will freshen them up as they take on Rochdale at Huish Park this afternoon.
The Glovers’ boss has brought in on loan Bristol City defender Raphael Araoye, midfielder Charlie Cooper and forwards Jordan Young and Frank Nouble from the side which started the 3-1 defeat at Gateshead on Saturday with full-back Jordan Thomas, captain Matt Worthington and Sam Pearson and Harvey Greenslade, making way.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Mark Stillman ahead of the game, the manager said: “We had a big game on Tuesday night and then another one on Saturday, it seems ridiculous playing another 48 hours late, so we have had to monitor one or two players’ loads and there are one or two who are at risk of injury, so we have freshened things up.
“Matt Worthington will have a little bit of a breather today, but he will probably play the last half-an-hour, and Raph Araoye comes in as the left-sided defender, I felt we needed more of a natural defender there.
“We have been monitoring players throughout this first part of the season until we get this batch of games out of the way, we do not want to risk too many injuries so we have to manage the players’ workloads without weakening the team.”
Full-back Alex Whittle is missing from the squad with a hamstring injury he picked up in the first half of last Tuesday night’s 3-2 home win over Ebbsfleet United, and Cooper is hoping he will be fit for the trip to newly-promoted Boston United on Saturday. He said: “He’s not quite made it today and with hamstring injuries you have to be careful.”
Rochdale, who have made a four-hour trip (probably more with Bank Holiday traffic) down from Greater Manchester, picked up a point from a goalless draw at home to big-spending Forest Green Rovers on Saturday.
Cooper said: “They are a good football team and they try and play football and pass the ball across the pitch, so they will be a dangerous opposition. They are a big club, a Football League club up until the last couple of years, so we are expecting a really tough game.“