JAKE Buxton will welcome five players back into the squad who have been sidelined for Covid-19 reasons when the Brewers take on Northampton at the Pirelli Stadium tomorrow (kick off 3pm).
With the virus biting into the squad, the Brewers were without a string of players who either had the virus or who were self-isolating last weekend but will see Kieran O’Hara, Joe Powell, Lucas Akins, Ben Fox and Charles Vernam return tomorrow.
That leaves only Kieran Wallace and Colin Daniel who are still self-isolating.
Buxton will be without striker Kane Hemmings who picked up a quad injury in the warm-up at Hull, while Jack Roles and Teddy Sharman-Lowe have both returned from international duty with niggles that could keep them out.
Sam Hughes will miss the game after his red card at Hull.
Buxton said: “It was good to have a few bodies back in training today. The players have had to have cardiac screenings before returning to training."
Buxton admits he will have to manage those players who have had Covid-19 after Stephen Quinn returned at Hull but ran out of steam after 50 minutes on his return.
The manager said: “We needed Quinny to be available due to the numbers. He didn’t feel great and got light headed so he had to come off. He said he was OK to play but once the game got going he struggled with it. We have had lads who have been away from the football club for 10 days or more and regardless of whether it’s a virus or not they would feel undercooked fitness wise but when it is a virus it knocks you up a little bit.”
Buxton hopes that Hemmings will be back sooner rather than later.
“Kane’s injury isn’t as bad as we first thought. The message at the start was it looked like a grade two tear which is six to eight weeks but I have spoken to him every day this week and he feels OK so he won’t be as long as that.”