Andreas Winkler is confident that the Barnsley squad can cope with international call-ups and injuries ahead of this weekend’s Sky Bet League One clash with Luton Town, 12pm kick-off.
The Reds are without Adam Davies and Kenny Dougall, who are with Wales and Australia, respectively, while a handful of first team players are temporarily side-lined.
But, following last week’s stunning display at Peterborough United, the Barnsley Assistant Head Coach believes there is enough strength in depth to achieve a positive result at Oakwell on Saturday.
“We have strength in the team and the best possibilities are Ben Williams and Jared Bird,” insisted Winkler. “Maybe ten weeks ago people wouldn’t have imagined them playing in the starting line-up, but everyone has increased their performance and we have a bright squad.
“It’s really good because you can see these young players are at a really high level and we trust them with everything if any of them play on Saturday. We would be happy for Adam and Kenny to be here and for us not to have so many injuries, but we are confident with the players.”
The 4-0 triumph at Peterborough was an indication of just how ruthless Barnsley can be, with Oxford United and Rochdale also feeling the full impact of the Reds’ attacking prowess this season.
Performances have been stellar so far this campaign, and Winkler believes the result at the ABAX Stadium will be a springboard for the squad to build on as his side look for an immediate return to the Championship.
“After the game against Peterborough, the squad knew we could beat a very good team away from home if we stick to our plan,” stated the Reds’ Assistant. “Our plan is clear; sometimes we have to change it with players in the line-up and how the opposition play and their formation. But this is our plan and we can be successful.
“Peterborough tried to stop what we’re doing, but we also had high ball possession. You can see that we’ve only conceded seven goals and this is because the ball is in the opponent’s half. Peterborough tried to stop this, but we had the better squad and maybe the better idea.”
Luton have started the season brightly and sit in eighth place, just two points outside the play-off spots after 12 games.
Nathan Jones’ side are unbeaten in their last five league outings, but their three defeats this campaign have all come on the road at Portsmouth, Peterborough and Doncaster Rovers.
“They got promoted last season and have some match winners in their squad,” said Winkler. “They have a good plan, which they stick to, so I think it will be a tough match. Everyone in the squad knows this will not be an easy match and will be doing everything to win three points. We have to start from the first minute.
“They’ve had a good start, but it’s important what happens on Saturday. We will stick to our plan and look at the opponent to see how we will react during the match.”
You can watch Andreas' full press conference on iFollow Barnsley.
Tickets are still on sale for our clash against the Hatters and are priced as follows:
Adutls - £10
Concessions - £5
U12s - £1
Tickets are on sale until 11:59pm on Friday and can be purchased either from the Reds' Superstore or online.
