Luke Williams has defended his management of Tom O'Connor's return from a serious hamstring injury, despite the defender lasting less than 15 minutes in Peterborough United's recent defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. The setback adds to a number of fitness concerns for the League One side ahead of hosting Doncaster Rovers this weekend.
O'Connor, who missed all of pre-season and the opening game, had made several appearances since returning in early August. His first match back was a difficult away fixture. The club's chairman has since confirmed the defender will not train again until after the current international break.
Injury list mounts
Williams stated there are no new long-term injuries, but the existing list is substantial. Long-term absentees include Declan Frith and Matt Garbett. James Dornelly and Ben Woods were already sidelined when Williams arrived at the club. Vernon Masara has what the manager described as an unusual injury, while Carl Johnston and Brandon Khela have other problems. Williams said of O'Connor that he had sustained a very serious injury and had done well to return in the timeframe he did. The manager added that there was nothing of huge concern regarding the overall injury picture. Several players are expected back in training after the international hiatus.
The situation leaves Williams with selection issues for the visit of Doncaster. With the squad stretched, the manager will need to rely on available players. The fixture is a key opportunity for Peterborough, who have drawn their last two matches, to improve their league position. The game kicks off at London Road on Saturday.
This story first appeared at Peterborough Telegraph
