Moneyfields boss not taking any risks as injuries mount in pre-season

Dave Carter is not prepared to take any unnecessary risks as the pre-season niggles begin to mount at Moneyfields.
Curtis De Costa suffered blisters in Moneyfields' pre-season friendly loss at SalisburyCurtis De Costa suffered blisters in Moneyfields' pre-season friendly loss at Salisbury
Curtis De Costa suffered blisters in Moneyfields' pre-season friendly loss at Salisbury

He could be without up to six of his first-team players for the upcoming pre-season friendlies at Wessex League pair Horndean on Friday and AFC Porchester next Tuesday.

Connor Hoare (broken arm), Tyler Giddings (knee strain) and Steve Hutchings (foot injury) were all ruled out of Saturday's 2-1 friendly defeat at Salisbury.

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Summer signing George Barker netted Moneys' consolation penalty.

But Carter's injury list grew after the defeat in Wiltshire, as Curtis Da Costa was forced off with blisters in the first half, Connor Bailey sustained a nose injury and summer signing Kieron Roberts sprained his ankle towards the end.

Added to that, Marley Ridge has also been carrying a thigh strain putting him, Da Costa, Hutchings and Roberts as doubts for the upcoming friendlies

Yet Carter insisted niggles are part and parcel of pre-season and sees it now as an opportunity to see whether anyone else can make the step up in the coming weeks.

‘I’ve got a 24-man squad now,' he said.

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'There are some unavailable - Steve Hutchings dropped a block on his toe so we’re waiting on him.

‘Curtis Da Costa has got blisters, Connor Bailey came off injured ... so we were forced into our substitutions rather than doing what we wanted to do.

‘‘We’ve got six or seven in the physio room, but they’re all minor and it’s a precautionary measure.

‘It’s pre-season so others will have a chance to shine.'

Now Carter is looking to use these upcoming matches to identify his side's best formation and strongest way of playing after a mix of tests in their opening three friendlies.

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'Over the next two games we’ll be looking at ways we can plan, in terms of a 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 and different things like that.

'We’ll be looking to find our best formation and what suits us best.'

Horndean won 5-0 in a friendly at Selsey on Tuesday with goals from Harry Jackson (3), Robbie Taw and Mark Smith.