Forest Green will be without manager Robbie Savage for their National League fixture against Wealdstone on Tuesday night. Assistant Jonathan Gould confirmed the news to players on Monday morning and stated he will lead the team in Savage's absence.
"Robbie won’t be with us," Gould said. He added that the coaching staff, including himself, Yan Klukowski, and Josh, would bring their strengths to the table. The team heads into the match sitting 12th in the table with 14 points from 10 games, a position reflecting their recent form of one win, three draws, and one loss in their last five matches. Gould emphasized the team's goal is to achieve promotion, a process requiring an average of 1.9 points per game over the season, equating to roughly 86 goal minutes of effective play in each match.
Squad depth and player availability
Gould must also cope without two key players. Midfielder Jayden Clarke, who has been a driving force and scored in the recent 3-3 draw with Sutton United, is unavailable. Defender Freddie Sass is suspended. Gould insisted the squad has the strength in depth to manage, citing other left-footers and good full-backs among the 18 or 19 players currently available. He described Clarke and Tate Campbell's midfield relationship as fabulous and noted Sass is a good character who wears his heart on his sleeve. The assistant manager expressed confidence in the available players to step up and fill the void.
Looking ahead
Forest Green host 17th-placed Wealdstone at The New Lawn looking to build on a resilient point earned with ten men against Sutton. Gould, a former Celtic goalkeeper with three Scottish titles, acknowledged there will be disappointed players who are not selected but emphasized the absolute need for every chosen player to perform on the night. He stressed the importance of starting the game well and maintaining intensity to secure a positive result.
