Grant McCann still set for some sleepless nights over Peterborough United injury concerns but receives fitness boost for key player

Kwame Poku returned to action against Oxford. Photo: Joe Dent.

Peterborough United’s injury concerns will still keep Grant McCann up at night but the news has been positive about the prognosis of some key men.

Speaking after the 2-1 win at Oxford on Saturday (October 22), McCann reeled off a list of nine players who were struggling with injuries in midweek.

He named a side that saw five changes to the line-up that was beaten at Wycombe last Saturday with Kwame Poku returning after three games out but Josh Knight, Ricky-Jade Jones and Jeando Fuchs all dropped out through injury.

There has been positive news on Fuchs, who limped off in that game, however, as he was at least fit enough to go through a fitness test on Saturday morning.

McCann said: “We were picking the team right at the last minute today. We didn’t know where we were for the last few days.

“It’s been difficult but to go through them. We had problems with Lucas Bergstrom, Josh Knight, Nathan Thompson, Joe Ward, Jack Taylor, Kwame Poku, Ricky-Jade Jones, Jeando Fuchs had a fitness test this morning and Joe Tomlinson has missed out today with a bruised bone.

“If we held a gun to Jeando’s head this morning and said you have to play, he would have played, he was that close but with three games in the space of seven games it’s not worth him playing one game to miss two.

“Credit to the lads who put their hands up and said I’m ready to go and I can get through it. We hope they are fit for Tuesday now.

Posh then suffered a further blow during the match as Joe Ward limped off after taking knocks to both his knee and shin in a 50-50. He was replaced by Nathan Thompson, who himself missed Tuesday’s (October 18) draw with Wycombe with a knock of his own.

McCann added: “It was a coming together in the middle of the pitch and it looks like he’s opened his knee up a little bit. He also has contact on his shin. Joe’s a quick healer though. He’s put us through the mill a little bit during the week, with us thinking he was not going to be available and then all of a sudden he became available. Let’s hope it’s nothing too serious.

“I’m going to have a couple of sleepless nights hoping people come in on Monday morning as fresh as a daisy. That’s the joys of management that people don’t see.”

Posh will need the knocks to heal quickly as they are back in action on Tuesday (October 25) against Accrington Stanley.