Crawley Town defender Yorwerth fit to face Cambridge

The centre back whose loan has been extended from Championship club Ipswich Town limped off during the first half of Reds’ 3-0 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday with a hamstring injury.

But this has now recovered and he he will be included in the squad against Cambridge.

It is welcome relief for the Crawley boss who said goodbye to three loaned defenders plus midfielder Conor Henderson who has signed for National League club Grimsby Town.

The departures mean Yates is down to just 16 fit players to play the League 2 clash.

He revealed: “I’ve got the smallest squad in the world at the moment.

“I could go and get three players tomorrow but I’ve about getting the right ones.

“We have been desperately trying and trying to get the ones that will make us better and provide a fresh impetus to kick on in the league.

“It’s proving difficult to make that happen at the moment for various reasons. We are doing all we can to make it happen as quickly as it can.”

The return of long-term injury absentees Lanre Oyebanjo and Joe McNerney have been delayed by the weather and a set-back needing a medical procedure.

Yates quipped: “It’s the weather. If you could have a word with someone up there to stop throwing the water down, that’d be great.

“Other clubs are in the same boat and we’re phoning round to see what we can do.

“Lanre is doing all the ground work and he’s doing straight line running on the side of the pitch but we can’t get him involved because we are using a 4G at the minute and we don’t want to risk that with him.

“He’s looking strong and fit, but we need to get him involved with the boys and that probably would have happened this week if we had been on grass.

“Joe had a scan and there was a little spur of bone they are going to take out so he will probably be another four or five weeks away. If we get Joe back this season it will be a bonus.”

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