Saturday preview: Dawson could return for Orient’s biggest test
But Clarke can’t play against his parent club
Struggling Orient face their toughest test of the season on Saturday when they travel to Huddersfield Town - but they will be without on-loan midfielder Tom Clarke, who cannot play against his parent club.
However, skipper Stephen Dawson could be set for a return following an ankle injury as he resumed training today, as did strike duo Jamie Cureton and Kevin Lisbie.
While Lee Butcher is set to continue in goal as on-loan Spurs keeper Ben Alnwick is still struggling with a groin problem.
Orient have yet to win a league game this season and are marooned at the foot of the League One table with just two points, while the Terriers have not lost a League One fixture in 2011!
After a 4-1 defeat at Southampton last December, Huddersfield began the New Year with a 2-2 draw at Carlisle – the start of a 25-match unbeaten run in the league.
The Terriers lost out to Peterborough in the Play-Off Final, but have started the current season with a nine-match unbeaten sequence and it means they have not lost a league game for an amazing 34 matches!
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Slade acknowledges that Saturday will be tough, but said: “It might just be the recipe to go and get a result against one of the bigger teams. It might be just what we need; it might be just the tonic.
“We need to address our league results and I think it’s only a matter of time before we turn the corner, we’re not as bad as our position in the league suggests.
“The nucleus of the squad is still there, it’s just for one reason or another they’ve been injured or they’ve had problems, but I am confident we can turn it around.”