Shropshire Star

AFC Telford United struggling with a handful under the weather

Paul Carden is hopeful a bout of illness within the AFC Telford ranks clears ahead of his Warrington Town return on Saturday.

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The Bucks missed goalkeeper Luke Pilling, defender Harry Flowers and striker Nathan Blissett in Saturday’s friendly defeat against Walsall.

New signing Kobe Jae Chong was also withdrawn early on with a bug. The illness came a few days after Matty Brown missed the friendly with Shrewsbury last week.

“I spoke to Harry on the Friday and he said he’d see how he was the next day, I just told him to leave it, there’s no point putting it in the dressing room,” said Carden, who takes the Bucks to Warrington this weekend.

“Bliss was no good, he went to the doctors on Friday and he’s on antibiotics.

“Obviously Kobe’s gone off, Pilly called me on Saturday morning to say he wasn’t feeling great but he’d take paracetamol to come through the game.

“But he phoned an hour later to say he felt worse, he said he felt awful.

“Kobe came to me in the warm-up and said he didn’t feel great, he said he was alright to play, because he’s young and enthusiastic.

“But you could see he looked like he was running in tar, he had no energy, there was no point playing on and making himself worse in this heat.

“We had to be sensible with that and we’re going to have to have a little look because obviously Browny (Matty Brown) missed last Tuesday being unwell, there’s a bit of illness going round, I think since Covid seems to have gone away the flu or a summer cold is back maybe.”

The Bucks, who did not play a friendly last night, were due to hold an inter-squad training 11 v 11 last night, with a selection of youth team players drafted in – but due to the warm conditions the squad did a pool and gym session at the New Bucks Head.