Mellon: Shrewsbury Town skipper Adam El-Abd is a big miss
Shrewsbury Town chief Micky Mellon has conceded that suspended skipper Adam El-Abd's absence will be felt ahead of the visit of high-flying Scunthorpe United.
The tough-tackling Egyptian was dismissed after collecting two yellow cards in the 2-1 reversal at Bury at the weekend and will serve his one-game suspension on Saturday.
The summer recruit from Bristol City, who turned 32 on Sunday, had featured in every minute of League One football Town had played prior to his sending off. Town boss Mellon confirmed his captain, who will remain on four yellow cards and one more caution from a suspension despite collecting two at Gigg Lane, will be sorely missed.
Mellon faced questions on why El-Abd was not withdrawn from the heated clash against his former side in Greater Manchester, having already picked up a booking, but the boss shrugged off those suggestions.
"He will be a loss and that's why I didn't take him off against Bury," said the Salop boss. "He's an important part in the group.
"I always try and emphasise (with the players), if I get taken off every time I get a yellow then I'm not going to be happy.
"But Adam's unfortunate, the lad's lightening quick, flicked it by him and probably ran into him.
"Everybody will be sitting at home, and I know this because I'm a football fan, and saying 'why didn't you take him off?'
"It's all hindsight, he's an experienced player and a big part of what we do. I don't want to weaken my team by taking people off.
"I trust my players and the experience that we have.
"Of course in hindsight everyone is saying 'oh Mellon's made an error, why didn't he take him off?' I know and understand that, that's football.
"But at the time I thought about it and I believed it was right."
Mellon admitted he has struggled at times to pinpoint his side's downfall.
He said: "We've been made to pay for fine margins and people will say that's what happens in football, well then yes – I'd have to agree with
that.
"It just seems to be going against us at the minute and I can't find any regular reasons or regular things that we need to do more, it's what we do all the time.
"We've had a few spectacular goals scored against us, it's just
football."
