Sligo Rovers make the trip to Dublin for the final time in 2024 this Friday, as the Bit O’Red visit Tolka Park for the second occasion this season to take on title-chasing Shelbourne, kick-off 7.45pm.
Rovers face Shels in front of the Virgin Media television cameras as both camps try to pick up as many vital league points as possible between now and the end of the season.
This will be Rovers’ second visit to Drumcondra this season and the fourth meeting of the sides this year. John Russell’s charges have come out on top in two of the three preceding games against the league leaders, who sit three points ahead of Derry City going into Friday’s game. A win for Rovers could see them return to the top four depending on results elsewhere.
The Dubliners beat Rovers in the first clash between the pair in Sligo back in March. While goals from Kailin Barlow and Fabrice Hartmann cancelled out Sean Boyd’s strike for Shels to hand Rovers the points at Tolka on the last day of May. Sligo then beat Damien Duff’s men again last month at the Showgrounds, Will Fitzgerald and Wilson Waweru finding the net either side of Evan Caffrey’s goal early in the second period.
In team news, Waweru begins his journey back to fitness and will not travel. The striker was stretchered off having sustained an achilles injury shortly after his equalising goal against Dundalk last Saturday. The 23-year-old will meet with a specialist today (Thursday) to further assess the injury.
Defenders John Mahon and Conor Reynolds continue their rehab, while winger Stephen Mallon is likely to miss the rest of the season due to injury. Stefan Radosavljevic is yet to prove his fitness and won’t travel.
Jack Henry-Francis returns to the squad having missed that Dundalk victory through suspension.
Ahead of Friday’s game, Russell said it’s early days in terms of appraising Waweru’s fitness. The Rovers boss is also enjoying the run-in as he looks to steer the club to as high a position as possible.
“We don’t have the full picture on Wilson just yet”, he says. “So we’ll wait to see what the specialist says. He’s been in super form for us since the summer and will be a big loss should he miss the rest of the year. But that’s why we have a squad and it gives the chance for another player to take Wilson’s place and impress.
“It’s another weekend and another huge game for us. We weren’t at our best against Dundalk but we were happy with how we grinded out the win regardless. We showed plenty of character and maturity to turn that game around and that’s a real positive for us.
“At this stage of the season, it’s all about picking up points and as many as you can regardless of performance.
“Tolka is one of the toughest places to go. We’re playing the league leaders and possibly the champions of Ireland. But we always back ourselves and I have great faith in this team under any circumstance. Our next two games are against the top two so it’ll be tough but you’ve got to enjoy and embrace these challenges. We’re still in with a shout of finishing in a European spot with five games to go and that tells you how well we’ve done this year.”
David Goulden