“Even harder” - Gavin Cowan opens up on Shrewsbury Town selection dilemma

Gavin Cowan admits he is facing a welcome but tricky selection dilemma at Shrewsbury Town.

Cowan is not short of options at Salop, with only Luca Hoole sidelined through injury for last weekend’s trip to Crawley Town.

He says his biggest challenge right now is deciding who misses out, as he begins to shape his plans for the summer rebuild and next season.

Cowan admitted selection is causing headaches, saying: “It's even harder. When you're winning games, the team picks itself, which is great. But then equally, we've got a lot of players.

“It's hard because I like to think of myself as a good human being. What you don't want to do is tell people what they don't want to hear.

“But part of my core values is to be honest and make sure that we give them the respect to let them know what we're thinking, and not try and bluff them.

“A couple of them miss out. It's harsh on them, because not having Mal Benning feels like you've lost your right arm, because he's such a part of the group.

“There's a couple of them in there, it's hard for them to miss out. Like Temple Ojinnaka, it's really, really tough on him.

“But I have to make the calls. I have to look at this stage of the season. I've got a responsibility to look at some of the players I need to see for next season.

“Then equally, I've got to get results. It's a tough time.”

Cowan has also faced difficult decisions over his loan players since arriving in late January, with seven loanees available but rules allowing only five in a matchday squad.

Only four featured at Crawley - Matt Cox, Ismael Kabia, Iwan Morgan and Bradley Ihionvien - all of whom started the goalless draw.

Tommy McDermott, Temple Ojinnaka and Trey Ogunsuyi missed out.

On that situation, Cowan added: “I wouldn't look too much into it.

“There are players…it’s their livelihood at the end of the day. They've got families and we've got to give them every opportunity to be brilliant around the group, be an excellent team-mate and perform on the pitch to make sure at the end of the season that we make a decision that goes in their favour.

“It's not going to happen for all of them. We want to do the right thing and make sure everybody gets an opportunity to show us what they can do. But again, the flip side of that is they have to earn it.

“The attitude in training has to be brilliant, their application has to be excellent, and then we give them the opportunity.”