Scunthorpe United have received a timely fitness boost ahead of their season opener away to Tamworth, with manager Andy Butler confirming he has a near full-strength squad to choose from for the club’s much-anticipated return to the National League.
Jéan Belehouan and Rory Watson, who both missed the final pre-season friendly at Worksop Town due to illness, have returned to training and are available for selection.
“Yeah, they’re fine,” Butler confirmed to BBC Radio Humberside. “They just missed out with illness… they’ll both be alright.”
The Goalkeeper Question and Squad Depth
One decision the manager is keeping close to his chest is who will start in goal. Following the arrival of former Iron shot-stopper Rory Watson on loan from York City, competition is fierce between him and Maison Campbell for the number one jersey.
While Butler had indicated Maison Campbell would be the club’s first choice goalkeeper earlier this summer, fans will have to wait until the team sheets are released on Saturday. When asked who would start, the manager simply replied: “You’ll see at 2 o’clock.”
That competition is a theme Butler has actively built throughout the squad this summer, revealing his satisfaction at having multiple options in every area of the pitch.
“I look across the squad now and I’ve got two players per position, and that was what I was aiming for,” he explained. “It takes a bit of pressure off, but it also adds competition, and that’s what I want. I don’t want anyone to sit back and go, ‘right, this is my starting position’.”
He sent a clear message that every player must remain ready, stating that a place in the starting eleven is never guaranteed.
“It’s not about who starts at the beginning of the season, it’s about the squad,” Butler insisted. “The team that starts against Tamworth probably won’t start against Sunderland (U21s). There’s your carrot.”
Bracing for a “Blood and Thunder” Opener
Looking ahead to the challenge posed by a Tamworth side that finished just outside the National League North playoffs last season, Butler is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task.
He expects a fiery and intense atmosphere for the opening fixture.
“It’ll be blood and thunder,” the manager predicted. “Andy [Peak] has got them organised. They’re strong, robust, and direct. It’s going to be a tough, tough test.”
“It’ll be high-tempo, it’s going to be red hot guaranteed on the 3G pitch, so you’ve got to play and dictate the tempo.”
With the squad ready and competition for places at its peak, The Iron appear well-prepared for the battle that awaits as they officially begin their new chapter in the National League.