Blackpool boss discusses defensive options ahead of Birmingham City

Blackpool Gazette

Steve Bruce has discussed his defensive selection calls for Blackpool's FA Cup second round tie against Birmingham City.

Transcript

00:00How's Hayden Coulson, went up against Bolton, missed midweek, how's he doing?

00:02He's not going to make it, he's not going to make the weekend, it's a muscle injury so I think it's

00:07another 10 days I would have thought, two weeks before we see him back on the grass.

00:12Is it his quad month that he's done?

00:13Yeah.

00:14How frustrating is it for him, he's been a bit stop start this season, both obviously for his

00:18wrestling.

00:18It's a difficult one for him because even last year I believe that he couldn't really get up

00:23and going just as he was doing well, he got injured, he keeps picking up these niggling

00:27injuries which is frustrating for everybody concerned and yeah it's a major concern for us

00:34because unfortunately he's got a history of it since he's been with us so let's hope we can

00:40improve it.

00:41I suppose that is one area where you are well stocked, you've got lots of left backs.

00:44We've got lots of left backs so yeah and it was good to see Dom get a chance the other day too

00:49which I'm delighted how he grasped it, he trains every day as if it was his last and I was pleased

00:55that he's got some sort of look in from the other day and you're right in that position,

00:59we are well stocked.

01:01On the other side, John and Gabriel jumped out the other day,

01:03Odella Fire started it right back, how pleased were you with him?

01:06Yeah he did very, very well.

01:09Gabe's had a little girl I'm led to believe in the last 48 hours so that's why he missed

01:15so we'll offer congratulations to him and his partner but he'll be available for Sunday.

01:23Obviously a fire, the way he gets forward,

01:26gives you a good element.

01:28He's a big powerful strong lad and he gives something in a wide area when he gets up and

01:34running, yeah he's very difficult to stop.

01:38Obviously Jordan's available again but how much of a headache is that between those two now?

01:42Well it's a nice headache, it's rather than have problems where you can't fill a team,

01:48it's a nice headache to have so yeah, let's hope I pick the right one.

01:53Matthew Pennelly came back as well, he's not had probably too much action in the league

01:57or main cup competitions but how good is it to have him back?

01:59Yeah it was good and he's steadied us down with his experience which was good for him.

02:05So look, you know somebody misses out and somebody takes that chance and

02:11Pennell will certainly play on Sunday because he deserves to, he played very,

02:14very well and I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I had given him a kick in the

02:19teeth and left him out on Sunday, he deserves to stay in the team.

02:23You mentioned last week Albie Morgan was going to return to training, is he back?

02:26Yes he's training, we still have to monitor him and we've still got to go a little bit

02:29easy with him but he's in our thoughts for Saturday, don't think he'll start but

02:34with nine subs then you know we'll have a conversation tomorrow.

02:38He's been in and around us now for a week, ten days and it's not as if he's injured,

02:42we just have to come to terms with his new lifestyle and see how he is.

02:47Have you been prepped by doctors and other things about how to handle him?

02:51All sorts of specialists come into it and not just for us to educate us but also the boy,

02:57what's changed in his life is huge over the last two, three weeks so

03:01blood sugar levels and all the rest of it are huge for him so we have a monitor for him in training

03:06and he has something fixed on his arm which diabetics will find out about so it's more

03:15about education us to help him as much as anything else.

03:18How much does he enjoy being back around the lads, a bit of normality?

03:22A bit of normality, that's what he does,

03:24he's a footballer isn't he, he wants to be back on the grass and it's good to see him.

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