Paudie O’Connor – Reading
After only missing games through suspension for us, Paudie O’Connor missed games through injury at Reading – so many, he missed the chance to play for Noel Hunt, who was sacked before he stepped foot on the field.
Our former captain hoped a Reading move would bring a promotion challenge, but they’re 11th, 14 points behind us. In fairness, since returning from injury, he has started 15 League One matches, and he’s winning aerial duels (68.2%) and defensive duels (68.7%) like he used to. He’s big on interceptions as well, 5.7 per game, so while his move hasn’t brought the top six spot he would have liked, he has done well.
Sean Roughan – Huddersfield Town
Sean Roughan didn’t miss a minute for us, but his time in West Yorkshire has been peppered with injuries. He’s out right now, and when he has been fit, he’s faced a battle to get into the side. Everyone will know how much that pains me.
With 12 starts from their 27 games, he sits out (injured or on the bench) more often than he is there from the off. He has 1293 League One minutes, with another 700-odd in the cups. His numbers hold up – 39.3% cross accuracy, 57.9% of duels won, but he’s finding regular game time harder to come by at a club beset by problems from top to bottom.