In the article, it is mentioned that Grant Hanley is set to make his first appearance since injuring his Achilles in April. He was supposed to play in a game against Stoke earlier this week, but it was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Hanley is now expected to play for an hour in a development game against Tottenham’s Under-21s on Friday.
However, news has come out that defender Ben Gibson has suffered a stress fracture in his metatarsal during training and will be out until Christmas. He does not need surgery, but he will be sidelined for a few weeks. Despite this setback, manager David Wagner still wants Hanley back and firing after the upcoming international break.
Wagner reiterates that they have a plan in place for Hanley’s return and they will stick to it. Even though they had to reschedule his game due to the postponed Stoke match, Hanley is expected to play in the Under-21 game on Friday. The manager is cautious about rushing Hanley’s recovery, understanding that he has been out of team football for seven months. He is happy with Hanley’s progress so far and hopes to gradually increase his playing time.
In terms of other players, Danny Batth and Jaden Warner are mentioned as potential contenders for the upcoming match against Rovers. Warner impressed in a League Cup game against Fulham but has not been in the matchday squad since then. Wagner states that Warner is always with the team in training and will either be involved in the squad or play in Under-21 games. There are no other reported fitness issues, and goalie Angus Gunn is expected to return to training after the international break. Young back up keeper Vicente Reyes has also returned to the club after a loan spell with Braintree.
