Huddersfield Town head to Burton Albion on Saturday afternoon with Jack Whatmough ruled out again by a calf injury, while Bojan Radulovic is fit and available for selection after recovering from a back spasm. It is a timely selection update for a game that carries extra weight because Huddersfield’s recent record against Burton is poor.
The two sides meet at 3pm, and Huddersfield will need to be sharper than they have been in this fixture before. They have taken only two points from five meetings with Burton Albion, a run that includes a 1-0 defeat in the first meeting between the clubs in December 2016, a 3-0 loss away in April last year and a 3-1 defeat in January.
What Huddersfield have to manage
The absence of Whatmough matters because this is not a game where Huddersfield can afford to be loose at the back. Burton Albion battled relegation over the past two seasons but have made a more positive start to the new campaign, so this is not an opponent to be taken lightly.
Huddersfield’s wider schedule also adds a layer of complexity. Joe Taylor will be absent on international duty with Wales, while Radinio Balker is also unavailable to contribute after starting both of Suriname’s victories over Honduras and Martinique in the CONCACAF Nations League on Saturday and Monday.
That leaves Huddersfield with a few moving parts before a weekend that could shape some early momentum. The one boost is Radulovic’s return, with the forward now back in the frame after missing the trip to Bromley.
Radulovic back in contention
His availability gives Huddersfield another option in attack, and that may matter if the game becomes tight. Away fixtures at Burton can become awkward quickly, especially when the margins are fine and the home side are carrying confidence.
There is also very little time to reset after Saturday, with Huddersfield due back at Accu Stadium on Tuesday at 7pm to face Rochdale in the EFL Trophy. For now, though, the focus is firmly on Burton Vs Huddersfield and whether Huddersfield can improve a record that has not been good enough for too long.
If they are to leave with a positive result, they will need a performance that matches the occasion rather than one that looks too cautious from the start.
