Positive Shrewsbury Town injury news as Iwan Morgan set to be fit for Crewe clash

Morgan was withdrawn before the hour mark during Salop's defeat at Bristol Rovers after picking up the issue early in the game.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's clash, boss Gavin Cowan said Morgan has returned to training and is expected to be available for selection.

Asked how the forward is, Cowan said: "Yes, good. He looks good today. He's out on the grass this morning. 

"We'll see what sort of contribution he can make for tomorrow's game."

Asked if he will be fit to play, Cowan added: "You'd like to think so, yes."

Town have had several absentees due to a combination of injuries and suspensions, but in a further boost, Sam Clucas has also returned to training.

"He's out on the grass again today," Cowan added. "So we're really pleased to have him back."

Meanwhile, John Marquis continues to recover from a knee injury. Cowan revealed the striker has found it difficult during the past week.

The Salop skipper was forced off inside the opening 14 minutes of the win over Barrow last month.

Providing an update, Cowan said: "I haven't met with the physios yet, but I've not had an update this week. 

"So I think he's felt it a little bit more in the week. So I hope for a bit of an update after tomorrow's game."

Fellow forward Bradley Ihionvien is also edging closer to a return after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Ihionvien picked up the injury in training in October and underwent surgery, ruling him out for several months. However, he is now nearing a comeback.

"He's out on the grass again," Cowan said. "We'll get a little bit of feedback from him. We'd like to see him in and around it sooner rather than later."

Salop welcome Crewe looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats. Taylor Perry and Josh Ruffels will both serve the final games of their suspensions.

While the squad has been stretched by injuries and bans, Cowan has refused to use that as an excuse.

"What coincides with the last couple of defeats is excessive injuries and suspensions," he said. 

"But I do feel like we've got enough in there anyway. So I don't want to make too many excuses. 

"I feel like the players are good enough to come in and the squad. I already said at the start, the squad's relatively bloated and imbalanced. 

"I feel like we've brought balance to it just by reasserting players and making sure that they know their jobs and even players playing in positions that we feel that they're excelling at. 

"The squad has taken a little bit of a hit, but the players need to come in and step up."