Cobblers boss Aidy Boothroyd says out-of-favour midfielder Luke Guttridge will have a key role to play in the team over the final few games of the season.
Despite the Cobblers stuttering over the past fortnight, suffering three straight defeats that have severely dented the team’s hopes of gaining automatic promotion from npower League Two, Guttridge has remained sidelined.
The former Cambridge United and Aldershot man hasn’t started for Town since the 3-0 defeat at Exeter City on March 2, which has been his only start since February 16.
Guttridge was given warm applause when he was introduced as a second-half substitute during Saturday’s 2-0 Sixfields loss to York City, and there have been plenty of calls from supporters to see the diminutive schemer restored to central midfield for Tuesday night’s trip to Wycombe Wanderers.
Town have to win at Adams Park to maintain their bid for automatic promotion.
With Ben Harding and Ben Tozer struggling to dominate the opposition in recent games, Boothroyd may turn to Guttridge to try and get some urgency, bite and passing quality into central midfield.
“Luke is like a little rottweiler at the moment, and he is desperate to play and that is what you want as a manager,” said the Town boss.
“The good thing about Luke, and about all the lads here, is that some players can get poisonous when they are not playing, and be disruptive.
“But Luke has been absolutely first class, he is not only a leader on the pitch, he is also a leader in the dressing room.
“I have a lot of time for him, and I think what he did for us last year was above and beyond.
“He came in and was one of the key players for us.
“Unfortunately, this time around, due to injury and a loss of form, he has not played as much as he would like.
“But for me he is still a key player for us in what it is that we are trying to do.”
If the Cobblers win at Adams Park, they could move back up to fourth place in league two and to within two points of third-placed Burton Albion with two games of the season remaining.