Martin Allen has promised two changes as Barnet host AFC Wimbledon tomorrow but Michael Gash and Bira Dembele aren’t fit to face the Dons.
Gash hasn’t featured since the goalless draw with Carlisle United in mid-January thanks to a tight hamstring and isn’t expected back for two to three weeks. He has yet to start jogging.
Meanwhile, Dembele, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since the goalless draw at Stevenage a week later, will be unavailable for slightly longer and has received an injection to speed up his recovery.
Options for Allen in the striking department are thin with John Akinde and Shaun Batt the only senior forwards at the club. But the Bees boss has promised two changes for the visit of Neal Ardley’s side.
He told Bees Player: “There will be two changes to the team which played last week which I won’t let anybody know until tomorrow at 2pm.
“We’ve got to get back here and get this place going and get the supporters buzzing here. The support away from home has been great recently but they’ve got performances so that’s bound to happen.”
Barnet return to The Hive having beaten Dagenham & Redbridge 2-0 last weekend to clinch just their second away league win this season.
It was at Wimbledon’s Kingsmeadow ground in October that Barnet turned in one of their worst away performances this season.
Goals from Lyle Taylor and Sean Rigg sealed the win with the Bees abject at best and some travelling supporters made their disatisfaction clear.
The Dons arrive in Edgware three points and three places beneath the play-offs and Allen says the south London outfit are an example for Barnet to follow.
He said: “Obviously they’ve just beaten Luton Town 4-1 with Luton having spent all that money.
“He (manager Neal Ardley) has got a good group of players. They’re building each year at Wimbledon. You can see it’s getting better and better and better.
“The position they’re in right now is probably the position I would want this club to be in in one year’s time.
“We need to be challenging for those places. That would be progress. They’re a good benchmark for us to follow to keep improving and getting better.”
Wimbledon are without Karleigh Osborne (knee) but Connor Smith is back in training following concussion.
There will be fitness tests for Ryan Sweeney and Jake Reeves.
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