Former Portsmouth boss Steve Cotterill set for Shrewsbury return - just in time to do old club a favour against Oxford

Former Pompey boss Steve Cotterill. Picture: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

The 56-year-old is scheduled to be back on the touchline on Saturday – and just in time to do his old club a favour, with the Blues’ play-off rivals Oxford United the visitors to New Meadow.

Cotterill’s last match came against Blackpool on December 29, which is exactly four months ago.

Since then he’s been battling against coronavirus and focusing on his recovery, missing 24 Shrewsbury games and spending two spells in hospital – including a period in intensive care.

However, he remained in touch with assistant boss Aaron Wilbraham and interim first-team coach Dave Longwell during that time, coming up with training sessions and picking the team from his hospital bed,

Following his discharge from the Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital – where he spent 50 days in total – Cotterill has been building up his fitness and strength through long walks, yoga classes, visiting the gym and using weights in order to return to the Shrewsbury fold.

He remains on medication and will have CT scans, tests and X-rayss over the next 10 days.

But the former Fratton Park is on course to return to front-line management against Oxford this weekend.

The U’s are currently seventh in the table and a point behind Pompey, who are sixth.

Both teams have two games remaining, with the Blues at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Charlton, though, can overtake both, with Nigel Adkin’s side currently eighth in the standings on 67 points, but crucially with three games left to play.

The Addicks are at Accrington on Saturday.