Charlie Blakemore
Charlie Blakemore. Pic: Chasetown FC

Chasetown FC manager Charlie Blakemore cannot wait for the club’s horrendous injury crisis to come to an end.

Blakemore was without a plethora of his first team squad for the midweek Cup defeat at Leek Town.

And despite acknowledging that his side still had enough about them to win that game and their 1-1 draw with Loughborough Dynamo on Saturday, the Scholars boss admits he needs lady luck to return to the club.

Blakemore told The Lichfield Blog:

“It’s just ridiculous at the moment. We’ve had two disappointing results in the last two games, but when you look at how many players I have out through injury, illness and holidays it’s beyond belief.

“The last few weeks we’ve had at least eight or nine players unavailable for every single game. Our luck at the minute is summed up by Joe Williams coming in on a short term loan and being unavailable for the first three weeks because of a chest infection.

“If it carries on, I might have to call for the oxygen tanks and give myself and Andy Turner [Blakemore’s assistant] a run out! Even Manchester United would struggle to cope with almost an entire team unavailable every week.”

But despite his frustrations, Blakemore admits the competitiveness of the division has meant his team still have it within them to challenge for the title.

And if the Scholars can shrug off some of their injury woes, their manager firmly believes that can put themselves back in contention. He explained:

“This league is so tight and no-one is running away with it like Leamington did the other year – and that’s good news for us because it means a few wins on the bounce and we can be right back in the thick of the title shake-up.

“Although it’s been a tough few weeks I have been pleased with how those that are still standing have shown commitment and stuck to their task. We’ve got points where maybe our injury list would say we shouldn’t have and it’s those points that could make all of the difference.”

Chasetown travel to Grantham Town on Saturday (October 31) and Blakemore is hoping to have striker Reece Styche available after work commitments ruled him out midweek, while cup-tied new signing Duncan Horler will also return to the fold and loanee Alex Titchener is also likely to recover from a chest infection.

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.