Day gets his chance

By Editor
March 3 2003

An injury to Nick Culkin means Chris Day will return to league action at Huddersfield - 16 months after suffering a double broken leg.

Culkin, who has a knee problem, is also likely to miss Saturday's game against Bristol City, handing Day the chance he has been waiting for since returning to training earlier this season.

Teenage keeper Jake Cole is set to join the Rangers squad for the trip north as cover.

Terrell Forbes will also travel after missing the Swindon defeat with a chest infection. His condition has now improved.

Gino Padula is still carrying a knee problem and was due to meet with physiotherapist Prav Mathema this morning to learn whether he will be fit enough to start tomorrow's match before taking a much-needed rest when Rangers face Bristol City - a game he will sit out due to suspension.

Padula missed training ahead of the matches against Swindon and Mansfield, so has effectively not trained for a fortnight because of his injury.

Lee Cook, Clarke Carlisle, Richard Langley, Marc Bircham and Richard Pacquette have also been nursing injuries, which Holloway believes was a factor in the lacklustre performance at Swindon.

"Several of them have had problems and I think it showed," said Holloway.

"The gulf between the treatment room and playing in our division is massive, and I think we didn't quite have the legs in the second half against Swindon.

"It's a shame because we had great support and whenever our fans turn out in big numbers like that we never seem to win. That really disappoints me."

Another factor in the County Ground defeat was a first-half miss by Paul Furlong who, with the score at 1-1, failed to capitalise after being put through on goal.

Holloway admitted: "If that had gone in it might have been different. It fell to Paul Furlong - who has been in a rich vein of form - and it didn't go our way.

"I don't think we'd have deserved to be in front at half-time but it would have made a big difference and moments like that change games."

And Langley added: "Paul Furlong had that chance and if that had gone in, it might have been a different game. They then came back at us strongly in the second half."

On a brighter note for Rangers, Andy Thomson is on course to return to the squad for the Bristol City game and could be joined by Matthew Rose, who has been sidelined by a knee ligament injury.

And Holloway has been named Manager of the Month for February.