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[Darren]

From www.manchesteronline.co.uk

Lawton blow for Robins
Tony Glennon

August 07, 2009

ALTRINCHAM skipper Robbie Lawton is almost certainly out of the Robins’ Blue Square Premier opener with Ebbsfleet at Moss Lane tomorrow.

The tough-tackling midfielder has a suspected hernia and, with centre-half Michael Welch also missing for the first two months of the new campaign as he recovers from ankle surgery, Alty face going into their curtain-raiser with just 16 fit players.

But boss Graham Heathcote is optimistic the Robins can strive for an improvement on last season’s 15th-placed finish and is targeting an opening-day victory to get his team off to the best possible start.

He said: “Being without Michael and, almost certainly, Robbie, will be a blow, while the fitness levels of some of our other players have also been affected by one or two pre-season niggles.

“But I believe our summer signings have improved us and, hopefully, that will show in our results.

“This league gets stronger every season, but we’ve so far managed to improve year-on-year, and, with luck, we can continue that this time.

“But we know that it’s at home that we really have to pick points up, which is why it’s so important we get off to a positive start tomorrow.”

Recruits

Heathcote has added to his summer recruits Matty Crowell, Tom Kearney, Rob Williams and Nicky Clee – by signing ex-Wigan Athletic keeper Russell Saunders, who is likely to be given a place on the bench as cover for Stuart Coburn.

[Paul Cain's Chip Pan]

"Russell Saunders......is likely to be given a place on the bench as cover for Stuart Coburn."

If Saunders is as good as I've been told and Coburn is as far away from being fit as I've heard, it seems an awfully big gamble to have Coburn starting the game tomorrow.

Apart from anything else, it worries me that Coburn may get injured trying to rush himself back to full fitness and be out long term.

[fuertes]

"Russell Saunders......is likely to be given a place on the bench as cover for Stuart Coburn."

If Saunders is as good as I've been told and Coburn is as far away from being fit as I've heard, it seems an awfully big gamble to have Coburn starting the game tomorrow.

Apart from anything else, it worries me that Coburn may get injured trying to rush himself back to full fitness and be out long term.

They both looked fine against United...