Shrewsbury Town to make late call on key duo as club avoid Covid-19 cases

Top scorer Bowman and captain Ebanks-Landell have been absent with muscle injuries and missed last weekend’s defeat at Doncaster.

Town, meanwhile, have so far had no further Covid-19 issues despite the rise in cases witnessed in the sport due to the new Omicron variant.

Several of Saturday’s matches across the Football League have already been postponed with clubs revealing widespread breakouts.

No positive cases have been returned at Town’s training ground and assistant Aaron Wilbraham said today the club will continue following guidance, but have not yet upped preventative measures any further.

The EFL confirmed updated guidance to Covid protocols at 3pm today (Thursday).

These included the re-implementing of social distancing measures outside of group exercise, limited access to indoor facilities and travelling to matches and training individually.

League bosses also confirmed that, across November, figures canvassed show 75 per cent of players across the Championship, League One and League Two are double-vaccinated, single-jabbed or intend to be vaccinated.

Double-vaccinated numbers come to 59 per cent, those intend to be jabbed are 16 per cent. Twenty-five per cent of players have stated they do not intend to get a vaccine.

Clubs have been told they require 14 players available (who are Covid-positive) including a goalkeeper from their registered squad list for a match to go ahead.

Screening and testing has been instructed to take place daily. The testing protocols have remained strict at Shrewsbury throughout the ongoing pandemic.

Bowman (calf) and Ebanks-Landell (hamstring) have received treatment at Sundorne this weekend and will be assessed ahead of the home clash against manager Steve Cotterill’s former club Cheltenham.

They have not been completely ruled out of making a comeback.

Striker Bowman, who has seven goals this term, pulled up with the lower leg issue early into the second half of the reverse at Wigan two Wednesdays ago. Cotterill has since revealed the colder weather conditions may have played a part in the striker’s injury.

It is the second time defender Ebanks-Landell has been missing with a hamstring issue, after tweaking an old injury in the FA Cup victory at Carlisle two weekends ago.

The captain played just 20 minutes that day and missed subsequent league defeats at Wigan and Doncaster.

Fellow defender Aaron Pierre has moved a step closer to his return from knee injury. He has been running with the club’s fitness coach.

Town, in 20th, are boosted heading into the weekend’s clash with the 14th-placed Robins thanks to the return of midfielder David Davis from a four-match suspension.