Bentley admits to training issues ahead of York trip

Heavy rain means their Morecambe Community High School pitch has been waterlogged and with some players unable to train on the Globe Arena astroturf Bentley has faced a daily dilemma.

The Shrimps head to Bootham Crescent for their first League 2 game in nearly three weeks after their game with Exeter last Saturday was washed out. 
Bentley said: “We were looking forward to Saturday but unfortunately it was called off.

“You can’t affect it, you’ve just got to get on with it.

“The right decision was made with the state of the pitch but the most difficult thing for us at the moment is training.

“Everywhere’s waterlogged and if you go on the astroturf it doesn’t agree with some of the players.

“It’s been difficult, the group’s split and it’s hard to get the work in.

“You can’t moan about it, it is what it is, we’ve just got to make sure we do what we can to get the work in to them ready for Saturday’s game.”

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Despite the training problems Bentley has a near fully fit squad to choose from with Barry Roche set to return in goal after struggling with a back problem that was affecting his hamstrings.

Bentley said: “He’d had a couple of light days leading up to the Exeter game and he felt comfortable that he was going to play on Saturday.

“Certainly now a week’s rest and proper training has brought him on a bit so he’s in decent knick.

“It’s the same with one or two others as well who have been carryin knocks recently.

“It just gives them the opportunity to clear up and get right.”

Tom Barkhuizen and Andy Fleming are being assessed ahead of the weekend however, the former having limped off in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat to Fleetwood with a dead leg while the latter is battling an ankle problem.

Bentley said: “Tom Barkhuizen is only doing light stuff at the moment but he’s got a good chance.

“Fleming’s still struggling a little bit with his ankle. He’s getting through training but whether he’s 100 per cent or not we’ll have to wait and see.

“Again, if you’ve got an ankle injury and go on astroturf it can flare it back up.

“He’s getting through it but he’s full of ice afterwards.

“Hopefully we can get some stuff into them on grass, even if it’s on the Globe pitch, but we’re looking healthy squad wise at the moment which is good with the games coming thick and fast.”

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