Shrewsbury Town face call between sticks

No.2 goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne marked his first league start since November with a welcome clean sheet in Tuesday night’s win at Rochdale.

First choice shot-stopper Matija Sarkic is nursing a quad injury, which he played through last week. But Town have decided to opt for caution, rather than risk aggravating the injury, which had affected Sarkic’s kicking.

Burgoyne recovered from a nervy start at Spotland before recording his shutout and Steve Cotterill and his management team are weighing up whether to stick with the local lad or recall Sarkic, who has been called up to international duty by Montenegro later this month.

Wilbraham said: “We’re still managing it (with Sarkic) and seeing if he could be right, it’s a tricky one. He played a couple with it and it’s now whether he is rested can he come back in?

“We’ll have to see how he is, see if he’s ready for tomorrow. We’re torn between (making it worse) and Harry got a clean sheet which is great for him. We’ve got the option of two good goalkeepers so we have to look at it nearer the time.”

Wilbraham revealed ex-Wolves youngster Burgoyne has been working on his strength since Cotterill’s appointment.

He added: “He’s been working really hard in the gym on his upper body strength, the manager spoke to him about those things. He’s been in the gym nearly every day, he’s 100 per cent committed.

“It was a clean sheet for Harry and that’ll do his confidence the world of good, he knows he has to perform.”

The Addicks are eighth in League One, a point outside the play-off places. Town remain 17th.

Meanwhile, Wilbraham yesterday revealed that boss Cotterill was ‘disappointed’ at being unable to return home from Bristol Royal Infirmary Hospital this week. Town’s assistant did add, however, he hoped there would be a more positive update on the manager’s recovery next week.