Three Players Who Could Replace Sorba Thomas In The Huddersfield Town Starting Xl – Opinion

When Huddersfield Town host promotion hopefuls Coventry City tomorrow, it will be the first of eight huge games between now and the end of the season. Those final games will ultimately dictate whether they remain in the Championship or not.

When they kick-off for tomorrow’s encounter, they’ll be without the disposal of Sorba Thomas, who is serving a one-match suspension after his sending off away at Rotherham before the international break. A big blow for the Terriers. 

Going into the Easter weekend, the Yorkshire outfit sit 22nd and in the Championship relegation zone. With two points from their last four games, a win on Friday would go a long way especially as it would most likely move them out of the relegation zone. Just five points separate Sheffield Wednesday in 23rd and Millwall in 16th, everything is still to play for.

A focal point in attack for Huddersfield the absence of Thomas will be a loss for Town in a game where they need everything to go to plan, if they’re to defy the odds and take a huge three points. Below, are three players who André Breitenreiter will consider selecting to replace the talisman in his starting Xl.

Josh Koroma

Perhaps the most logical replacement, André Breitenreiter could opt to recall Josh Koroma to his starting squad, with the 25-year-old an unused substitute in the Rotherham stalemate.

With six goal contributions this season, Koroma has been an important attacking option for the Terriers, and if they opt to stick with the 3-5-2 formation they’ve used recently, he could strike a solid partnership with Dutchman Delano Burgzorg.

The star man for Town in their ‘Great Escape’ last season, Koroma has only started once since Breitenreiter’s appointment. With the absence of Thomas, he could use tomorrow as an opportunity to stake his place as a starter in the run-in.

Bojan Radulović

A January arrival in HD1, Serbian striker Bojan Radulović has found game time extremely limited since his arrival from Finnish outfit HJK, with the 24-year-old making just five outings for the Terriers so far, with only two being starts.

Unavailable for the last two games with a back injury, Breitenreiter confirmed in yesterday’s press conference that the striker is back available having taken part in all the training sessions since the Rotherham game.

Radulović, an arrival that received a great deal of excitement from the Huddersfield faithful, is yet to replicate his form from his time in Finland. But it’s still very early days for him in West Yorkshire. If called upon, a strong performance on Friday could be the catalyst he needs to push on with his Town career.

Danny Ward

A man who has had his season heavily disrupted by injuries, tomorrow’s game could equally provide a chance for Danny Ward to return to the starting lineup in what has been a miserable campaign for the veteran striker.

With only one start since the turn of the new year, the vast majority of the 32-year-old’s minutes this season have come off the bench. While at Rotherham, he was an unused substitute. 

Towards the end of the game, the Huddersfield fans quite vocally chanted his name to try and prompt Breitenreiter to call for his services, a cry that fell on deaf ears. The German’s reluctance to bring Ward on in South Yorkshire doesn’t seem to bode well for his chances of a start tomorrow, but he’s still a viable option in any case.

Ultimately, you could make a compelling case for any of the three names included above to get the nod as Sorba Thomas’ replacement. All off the trio can bring different elements to Andre Brietenrieter’s lineup that could be key in helping Town secure their first win in five.

Under immense pressure towards the foot of the Championship table, every decision that the German coach makes is heightened, as his side has very little margin for error. Whoever replaces Thomas has big shoes to fill, so making the right decision is key.

Of the three names mentioned, Radulović is the one most in need of a start and a strong performance. A first goal in English football could give him the confidence booster he needs to settle into his new stomping ground. From that point on, he could play a big role in the run-in.

Selecting the Serbian from the start is undoubtedly a risk, but perhaps it’s a risk worth taking. Huddersfield needs to be bold and daring if they’re to get out of the predicament they find themselves in. Now might be the right time to call on Radulović, who would have an opportunity to make himself an unlikely hero in this tight tussle for survival.