United skipper Paul Thirlwell is a major doubt for the weekend as he continues to nurse a troublesome tendon injury in his lower leg.

Thirlwell, 30, missed out on the 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday evening having been ruled out of training on Monday morning with the problem.

Greg Abbott said: "He hasn't trained with us today as we are wrapping him in cotton wool a little bit.

"He's a major doubt for Saturday, as I have to make my decision on team selection by Friday afternoon at the latest. The fact that he hasn't trained usually means that he wouldn't be ready for the game. The chances of him making it are very slim at the moment as he has had a full week without doing anything with us now. We would want to see him at full pelt tomorrow morning for him to have any chance at all, and I don't think that will be the case."