[ad_pod ]
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness
Charlton boss Lee Bowyer hasn’t got too much wrong so far this season.
After masterminding a promotion campaign for the Addicks last term with a playoff final victory at Wembley, the 42-year-old guided his side to four wins and two draws from their opening six games back in the Championship.
However, one thing Bowyer has been doing throughout this campaign may soon bite him on the backside if he isn’t careful.
What is it?
Well, the Charlton boss has been playing Ben Purrington for 90 minutes in every league game so far this season.
Why is that a problem, you ask?
London News Online recently revealed that the 23-year-old has been playing through the pain of an ongoing calf injury throughout this campaign, with Bowyer saying: “We don’t know how long he is going to last.”
The former Newcastle and Birmingham midfielder needs to manage his left-back a bit better, or he faces a huge problem if that injury is worsened.
He’ll have no left-back
If Bowyer continues to push Purrington to his limits, he will have no left-back available to him with back-up option Lewis Page also out injured.
Seeing as Purrington is his only left-back right now, you can understand why Bowyer plays him every game, although he must manage him better in some ways.
For example, the Addicks boss could sub Purrington off for the last ten minutes of every game, or allow him a longer break if the game looks dead and buried with more than ten minutes to spare – a centre-back for example could fill in on the left side if the Addicks are winning comfortably.
However, doing the opposite and playing him for every available minute doesn’t look like it’ll be too sustainable for the player himself, which would leave Charlton in the perilous position of having no recognised left-back.
Bowyer must manage Purrington – who has played 720 minutes of football already this season – much better, or there’ll be a huge issue with his XI.
