The Three Amigos

After the news that Stephen Crainey and Brett Ormerod could be out for the rest of the season and that Daniel Nardiello's loan spell at Oldham has been terminated with the striker unlikely to play again this season (or indeed ever play again for the Seasiders!), Blackpool have at least received some good news on the injury front with the news that David Vaughan, Hameur Bouazza and DJ Campbell are all fit for this afternoon's trip to Scunthorpe.

The only problem with this is that it leaves Ian Holloway with a selection headache - all three are clearly big players, but after two wins on the spin, does he make any changes?

From what Holloway has said, it seems likely that Bouazza will start on the bench this afternoon:

'He'll probably be starting on the bench but what a fantastic impact player he is. I certainly wouldn't want to have to mark him after sixty minutes of a game.'

Bouazza has been away in Germany having treatment on a complicated groin injury, but a series of injections, and a simple insole in one of his boots appears to have fixed the problem that was threatening to ruin his season and maybe even his World Cup.

'Before I went to Germany I was a bit scared thinking I might miss the run in and World Cup,' said Bouazza in an interview with the Blackpool Gazette.

'But now I feel really good and I want to be back in the squad.

'We are so close to being involved in the play-offs which is a great thing for us as players and the club.

'We have to do well in the last six games and hopefully we will get there.

'Even if we don't make the play-offs it will still have been a very good season.

'But I believe we can make the play-offs and when we do I think the other clubs will be worried about us because they've seen our results this year and how well we have played.'

It is unknown yet whether Vaughan and Campbell will walk straight back into the starting XI this afternoon, although I suspect that only Vaughan will.

However, one player definitely starting this afternoon will be Joe Martin in the place of Stephen Crainey.

And with Martin's contract up this summer, he needs to impress... but Ian Holloway has faith in the defender:

'Joe's improving in every single game and it'll be a chance for him to have an exciting run in with us.

'As I say, he's a young man and obviously he's got Stephen Crainey in front of him which can be a bit frustrating at times because Craines hardly puts a foot wrong.

'But Joe's improving and it'll give him a great opportunity to play well for us.'

Joe will certainly have to play well, not just to earn a new deal, but to keep his place in the side in the coming weeks, following the news that Stephen Crainey's injury is not as bad as first feared.

Initially, both Crainey and Ormerod were expected to be out for the rest of the season, but now both players could be back sooner rather than later, with Ian Holloway stating in his pre-match interview that Crainey was back doing light training, whilst Ormerod will hopefully be back for the trip to Newcastle.

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