Shrewsbury v Huddersfield: Gareth Ainsworth previews Terriers clash and provides fitness update

When Town are right up against it, they would rather play sides who are out of form as they seek to close the gap on 20th-placed Bristol Rovers.

So it is potluck that three of their first four games of 2025 are all against three of League One's in-form sides. 

Leyton Orient has gone, but the home matches against Huddersfield and Wrexham are daunting prospects.

The Terriers have not lost since the start of October in the league, and they went unbeaten throughout December - winning four out of six and drawing the other two. 

As if their confidence did not need another boost, Duff's side beat second-placed Wycombe in midweek. 

The benefit for Shrewsbury is that at least those games will be out of the way, but ideally, they could do with winning at least one of them. 

There are doubts about whether the game this weekend is even likely to go ahead. 

It has been a freezing cold week around the UK, and temperatures have not gone much above freezing - they even dropped as low as -4C on Wednesday night. 

Salop do not have undersoil heating at the Croud Meadow, and with forecasts predicting further cold weather for the remainder of the week, it throws their game against the Terriers into jeopardy. 

They cannot think too much about that, they must prepare as normal, and Ainsworth says he has no fresh injury concerns. 

"It was a test, and we picked up one or two knocks," the head coach said reflecting on the festive period. "You know what, we picked up one or two illnesses as well, which wasn't ideal.

"There are one or two sniffles around, but having said that, I think we're getting back to a clean bill of health now.

"Alex Gilliead came back from a thigh injury, I think he was almost right, not 100%, and so we'll be monitoring him. 

"But having said that, I'm really pleased with where we are injury-wise. 

"The medical and performance teams are doing really well and giving me a full quota of players to pick from, you know, and that's what you want as a manager."

Ainsworth watched Huddersfield's victory over Wycombe on Tuesday evening. Herbie Kane's goal in the 15th minute was enough to earn the Terriers all three points. 

And the Town boss was very complimentary of this weekend's visitors. 

"Michael Duff's done a brilliant job," Ainsworth said. 

"We've had very similar careers as managers. We've both done our hard yards in the lower leagues and got to the Championship, managed in the Championship both of us. And Michael's had a few clubs now.

"He knows his way around football management without a shadow of a doubt. Very good at what he does, and you can see that with the team he puts out there.

"To go 15 unbeaten is no mean feat in this league. It's a very, very tough league.

"Probably the toughest league one that's been for quite some time. So you've got to take your hat off for him."