Tom Cleverley is hopeful that Plymouth Argyle have turned a corner in their injury crisis as they kept their playoff hopes afloat against Reading.
The Pilgrims fought tooth and nail away from home in Berkshire, but were only able to secure a solitary point despite having a slew of chances throughout the match, ultimately ending 2-2.
Cleverley Reveals Midweek Injury Boosts
Facing another playoff contender in Stevenage on Tuesday night, Argyle still have a lot of work to do in order to eliminate the disadvantage they currently face in order to reach the top six.
Despite only being three points behind Huddersfield Town, seventh-placed Stockport County have two games in hand on the Home Park outfit, which can increase the margin further. Stevenage sit a further point ahead of the Terriers, putting extra impetus on the match for the Argyle players.
Speaking to Plymouth Live following the draw against Reading, Tom Cleverley was hopeful of a few faces returning in time to face Alex Revell’s outfit.
“I think Ayman Benarous and Conor Hazard I can say with some confidence will be available. Brendan Galloway will be touch and go, and Lorent Tolaj is on track to be part of the squad for the Huddersfield game.
“Recovering those four bodies will mean we will have more depth and maybe freshen it up in-game a little bit more ahead of a really big week for the football club.”
Can Argyle Pull Off The Ultimate Turnaround?
While they did not get off to a great start in what will be a pivotal six-game stretch, Plymouth Argyle are definitely still alive in their hopes to try and reach the playoffs.
It would be one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent memory for both the club and Tom Cleverley personally, having drawn heavy criticism for the Pilgrims’ performances in the early stages of the season, when the club looked prime relegation candidates.
Now, through hard work and sticking with Cleverley through that tough patch, they have pulled themselves up the table and now are in a competitive position as they face many of the playoff-chasing pack in quick succession.
The match against Stevenage is followed by contests with Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, Bolton Wanderers and finally Barnsley on Easter Monday, and with players returning from injury they will have some quality on the bench to push those sides.
Most crucially is the return of Lorent Tolaj, whose efforts up front inspired Argyle’s resurgence in the second half of the campaign. If the Swiss forward can keep up his goalscoring heroics across this spell of games, then they could certainly claim a couple of wins.
Picking up points against those direct rivals could be the difference between another season in League One and a remarkable promotion and immediate return to the Championship.
