Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper has said he is “not taking any chances” with the fitness of midfielder (and his son), Charlie Cooper.
The 26-year-old is missing for the squad for the visit of Havant & Waterlooville to Huish Park in National League South this afternoon, having limped off in the last match the Glovers played on home soil, a 3-1 win over Slough Town at the end of January.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins ahead of kick-off, the manager said: “We are not taking any chances with it, we want him available for some big games.
“The other injury updates are (strikers Jake) Hyde and (Rhys) Murphy are still long-term injuries.”
Havant are one of only four teams to beat Yeovil in league action this season having won a 4-3 thriller in Hampshire on Bank Holiday Monday in August, but Cooper insisted this was not about a revenge mission.
He said: “It’s just about three points and us trying to play well, what’s is gone, is gone, we can’t affect what happened back in August, we just want to win and get three points today.
“Of course we look at the results of the teams below us, but we don’t drive ourselves mad about it. We just try and concentrate on what we’re doing and that’s winning games and we have to keep doing that.”
Havant arrive in Somerset second-from-bottom of the division and have won just seven times all season and just once away from home.
Of the opponents, Cooper added: “I think with the players they have got, they shouldn’t be in the position they are in, so something has gone wrong.
“They have beaten Chelmsford and Maidstone, but they have struggled against teams in and around them which is where they have got it wrong. But we are expecting a tough game as it always is at Huish Park.“