Full back Michael Smith has suffered a calf injury which rules him out of Yeovil Town’s final home game of the season this weekend.
Manager Mark Cooper confirmed the Northern Irishman picked up the injury in the Easter Monday defeat at Eastleigh when he came off after 53 minutes and will not be fit to face Sutton United.
Defender Jake Wannell is expected to train before the match, but the boss is not sure whether he will be fit to feature.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah on Thursday, Cooper said he was expecting a tough game against a visiting side which has a National League Cup final against Leeds United Under-21s next Tuesday night.
Asked if he expected a below strength opposition, the Glovers’ boss said: “They have had the massive disappointment of coming out of the Football League and the hangover that brings and they have recovered from that well. I am sure they will be looking to kick on next year. Knowing Steve (Morison, the Sutton manager), he will be desperate to win every game. I think they were quite close (to staying in the League), but once you come down it is difficult. You lose players and have to recruit. Steve has steadied the ship well there and they have some really good players.”
The manager added he expected midfielder Charlie Cooper to “get more minutes” at the weekend having featured off the bench in the past two games as he works his way back from tendonitis in his Achilles.
Results elsewhere in the National League Premier Division on Easter Monday confirmed Yeovil’s place with two games to spare and the manager believes the having the pressure off them in recent weeks has led to improved performances. The Glovers have won three and drawn one of their last six matches.
Cooper said: “We have had to concentrate more as a team without the ball because we have had so many disruptions (with injuries) to the squad, so we have had to concentrate more on winning the ball back higher up the pitch and having to get after teams. I just think when they are in that moment they understand they have to run and win their battles and if we have seven or eight players that do that, we win the game. We have at times let ourselves down because we have had a disjointed team and that is understandable and at the moment we are on the front foot and having a go.
“If you are not playing for anything, the pressure is off a bit and you can play a bit more freely, so you have to factor that in. You have to respect the boys that keep winning when they are at the top, like we did last year, because there is so much expectation and pressure to win games. We have not had pressure on us for a couple of games and you can see that in our performances.”
Saturday’s game marks the final fixture at Huish Park and Cooper has called on the home supporters to get behind his side as they have done in recent games.
He said: “Whether you win at home or away it is just about getting enough points and we are starting to pick up points at home. At the club we all have a part to play. I think we can make this place a really difficult place for opposition teams to play, like we did against Forest Green and Oldham, and the fans have the biggest part to play in that, because when they get behind the players it is a really tough place to play for the opposition. Hopefully we have a good summer, recruit well, and get more players that understand what it means to win and the more you win, the happier everyone is.”