English expected to feature

Hornets’ coach John Stankevitch expects Wayne English to feature today against Oldham, despite the Hornets’ full back being stretchered off at Gateshead last week.

Stankevitch said: “It was a worry at the time because he was down for a good 10 minutes. His neck and upper back were a bit stiff, but he was feeling a lot better on Tuesday and he’ll probably pull through fine.”

Steve McDermott, Richard Mervill and Dayne Donoghue are also in line for a place in Rochdale’s match squad.

Stankevitch added: “At this stage of the season, sometimes the nervousness in the players means you come up with errors.

“It’s the little things at this stage that will get you your results. We’ve been concentrating on the real basics – catching, passing, and pushing up in support.”

Luke Sutton makes his final Oldham appearance before emigrating to Australia, while Luke Stenchion (back), Mark Brocklehurst (foot) and Danny Whitmore (back) are all being monitored.

Oldham coach Tony Benson said: “We always enjoy playing Rochdale.

“You get a good, vocal crowd going and we’re looking forward to it. They’re obviously the form team at the moment, so it’s an exciting match.”