Sam Ricketts previews Town's Sky Bet League One clash with Bristol Rovers.
Shrewsbury Town are back on the road this weekend as Sam Ricketts men take on Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.
Town will be searching for three points after losing out to an injury-time goal from Tranmere Rovers in the last Sky Bet League One fixture.
Town’s Manager is expecting a tough test from the home side but feels Salop have the character to secure all three points with a strong performance against the Gas.
“They have some really good players and have changed slightly under a new manager,” said Sam. “They have changed shape a little bit too. They have Jonson Clarke-Harris who can score goals and other players who are well-known here.
“They recruited well in January bringing in some forward players. They went through a sticky patch but had a good performance against Sunderland. They have the same players but a new formation under a new manager.
“We watch the last five or six matches and try to pick up key things from there. The manager has been in place for a while now and he has a certain way of playing.
“Clarke-Harris is a player who was linked with a move to the Championship so we have to play well against him. We need to be ready for the test and need to make sure we nullify their threats."
With a number of Town’s senior squad out injured, Sam notes it’s a good opportunity for Town Academy players to be directly involved with the first-team. He said: “Injuries happen for a number of reasons, it can be down to game time and traveling - there isn't much we can do about that.
“We've had Charlie Caton with us recently for training. He’s been in a match-day squad mid-week so there is a possibility he could be involved - we will see how the rest of the week goes.
“We are a little light but we have enough players who are ready to go. We are aiming to get back to winning ways. The other lads are no different, they are still injured - there isn't anyone who is ready to come into the squad.”