Exeter City manager Matt Taylor is still waiting to see if Nicky Law will be fit for Saturday’s match at home to Swindon Town, following a groin injury picked up at Yeovil Town last weekend.
The midfielder, who has been a pivotal player for the Grecians in the opening weeks of the season, limped off injured in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Huish Park having aggravated a groin problem that saw him miss a couple of matches in late August.
“Nicky (Law) has got a chance, but it depends how he gets through the next 24 to 48 hours,” said Matt, when asked how the squad was looking going into Saturday.
“However, he is certainly one I will not look to risk because he is such an important player for us and it is the second time he has damaged his groin in that way. So there might be a weakness there that we need to strengthen and improve.
“Troy Brown is a long-term absentee and Alex Hartridge picked up a bad injury playing for the 23s as well and Jimmy Oates is probably three or four weeks away. Woody (Craig Woodman) has done a bit of training, but he probably won’t quite be fit enough for the bench. The game has probably come a week too soon for him. So we have got some bodies coming back and some bodies that are still a long, long way away but it always happens that way in football.”
This week has been the first time since September 17, that City have had a game-free week leading up to a match on a Saturday. So will that extra time on the training ground help Matt Taylor’s men approach the game with a freshness?
“I hope so, you aim to start every game with freshness and energy and a high tempo,” said Matt. “It doesn’t always happen that way. The opposition play their part and the conditions play their part as well.
“However, we aim to go into every game with a high energy, especially at home games as well. We have started off well recently, with our home form. Saturday is going to be a tough test. We know what qualities Swindon hold. They have got a team full of good players, so we have got to be at our best on Saturday.”
Asked what he had made of Swindon’s start to the season, Matt added: “They have drawn a few games and probably not picked up as many points as they would have liked but, like I said, they have got some good players in their team.
“I watched them on Tuesday night and if that is their ‘so called’ reserve team then it is going to be a proper game this weekend. They were excellent on Tuesday and the footage I have watched of them in terms of the videos shows that they have got good players. I am hoping for a high-quality game of football on a good pitch.
“Hopefully, the weather won’t play too big of a part in it in terms of the conditions and the teams will be both able to get the ball down and play the right way. We are looking forward to it and we have got to be at our best every time we step onto that pitch and, hopefully, we will do that on Saturday.”