Matt Taylor, the manager for Bristol Rovers, has revealed a few critical ‘question marks’ surrounding the team’s lineup for this weekend’s game against Wigan Athletic. The uncertainty primarily stems from the midfielder Kamil Conteh’s return from international duty with Sierra Leone.
Kamil Conteh’s Return and Readiness
The 21-year-old midfielder has just returned to The Quarters for the first time since before their 2-0 victory over Cambridge United on August 31. Conteh reported for individual training on Thursday afternoon after enduring numerous long journeys over a fortnight, making his availability for the upcoming game uncertain. While playing for Leone Stars, Conteh came on as a substitute in a goalless draw against Chad before starting in a 3-2 defeat away to Zambia.
Prior to last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Barnsley, Conteh had played every minute of Rovers’ League One season. Ideally, Taylor would like to integrate him into this weekend’s team in some capacity. However, the manager is cautious: “We have a player who missed the first half of the week through illness, another player’s not trained since the weekend. He’s had a scan but it’s not shown up anything too serious, so a couple of question marks going into the weekend on the back of the international fixtures. Kamil’s not trained with us; he’s literally just returned. He’s going to do an individual session out there to see where he’s at,” Taylor said.
Injury Challenges and Fitness Concerns
Conteh’s intense travel schedule and game time over the past ten days have placed him in a tricky spot. “He’s flown through the night and had several flights in the last 10 days alongside some game time, so a few question marks. I think a lot will become clearer tomorrow,” Taylor continued. Adding to the complexity, Conteh sustained a whack to his leg during training. Medical experts are evaluating his condition, and it appears unlikely that he will play the full 90 minutes. Discussing Conteh’s state, Taylor said, “He’s a young lad, and he’s been through a lot in the last 10 days. Great that he gets to represent his country, but whenever he goes on international duty, it’s what state he comes back in.”
Conteh’s fitness isn’t the only concern. Last weekend, Luke McCormick replaced Conteh. However, Taylor might opt to use Jamie Lindsay, should Conteh be unavailable to start. Lindsay, who hasn’t played since the goalless draw at Rotherham United due to a medial knee ligament injury, is back in contention. Taylor mentioned, “He’s trained this week. He’s maybe, not a week ahead of schedule, but he’s in contention. We spoke about Kamil’s situation, we would have liked him available last week, but he’s certainly in contention. The good thing with the injury is that nothing’s flared up in the week of training so far, so that will be a discussion tomorrow.”
Adding to the list of injuries, Jack Hunt hasn’t featured yet this season, having picked up a hamstring strain ahead of the campaign opener against Northampton Town a month ago. Nonetheless, the right-back has been pictured in training, with Taylor confirming, “He’s returned from injury. He’s back training with the group. We don’t expect him to feature in the near future.” The 33-year-old is still some way off from participating in matches.
In summary, Bristol Rovers face several uncertainties before their matchup against Wigan Athletic, primarily revolving around Conteh’s fitness and the readiness of several recovering players.
