Another King Saga?
Last updated : 29 October 2010 By Covsupport News Service/RD
None of us will forget the long drawn out saga surrounding the signing of Marlon King at the beginning of the season and now we have another similar saga surrounding his fitness.
One day we hear he has a dead leg and will miss the next game or two, but nearly a month later he is still not fit enough to wear the Sky Blue jersey. The dead leg is now described as a hamstring tweak or a muscle injury and that the player won't be risked in a game until he is fully fit.
Only yesterday it was reported that King would not be for enough to travel to Sheffield United, but today, he is fit enough to either be in the starting line up or will be on the bench. Either way, he will be in the squad to face The Blades tomorrow.
Coventry manager Aidy Boothroyd has had his hand forced a little as some of his players have minor knocks and have question marks over their fitness to play on Saturday.
Clive Platt, Ben Turner and Richard Wood have all been receiving treatment, but are expected to train today.
Boothroyd also has the problem of the Sheffield United central defender to contend with, namely who will he put up against Chris Morgan?
The City boss knows all about Morgan, he tried to buy the player a couple of seasons ago and said to the CT: "Chris is an old stager who has been around forever and has his fans and people who aren't that keen on him, but I think we have got enough to go up there and give them a good game."
"I tried to buy him once when I was at Watford and we were relegated from the Premier League, but I couldn't get him because they wanted too much money for him."
Boothroyd's interest in Morgan was before he was involved in an unsavoury incident in which Barnsley's Iain Hulme received a fractured skull from a flying Morgan elbow.
"As far as I am concerned I have to look at individuals as players and he is certainly a warrior and a guy who has had a good career," explained Boothroyd
"I think he's a good professional otherwise he wouldn't have played as long as he has done, and I know that our centre-forwards will be in for as tough a game as I know he will. He's a decent guy as well, down to earth. He is a Sheffield United player through and through and has a reputation amongst the fans and a reputation in the league, and you don't get that by being a soft touch."
"You have got to be consistent and good at something over a period of time, and I think he is a good, solid Championship player who has done very well for himself. I remember when I sold Darius Henderson to Sheffield United, Chris said to me that he was always one of the toughest players he's played against and was always one of the hardest games he'd had, but I think we have got a player here who is better.
"In fact I think we have got three or four at this stage now, so it is an option for me to go with someone who is stronger and more powerful than him or go with someone quicker and more mobile. So that's where I am blessed when everyone is fit so I will give that some thought and hopefully we can give him enough problems so he's more concerned with us than we are with him."
Boothroyd then went on to say, "Marlon will definitely be in the squad to travel to Sheffield. I have to decide whether to play him from the start or put him on the bench but we have had a couple of bumps, bruises and dead legs from the weekend. Clive Platt, Ben Turner and Richard Wood have all had little knocks but I expect them to come through and train today in time for the game tomorrow."
When asked about any abuse King might expect to receive, Boothroyd said, "He can cope with it. Players that get booed and stick away from home, in a strange way it is a compliment and a respect, and whenever he's been to Bramall Lane with me he has scored."
King has scored five goals against Sheffield United in his career, but has only made one appearance for his new club Coventry City since his well publicised release from prison.
