Source: FOOTYMAD
Ferdinand faces fitness test before Morecambe
Southend United's influential youngster Kane Ferdinand has missed the last two league games and faces a late fitness test to see if he's fit to face the Shrimps on Saturday. Kane Ferdinand: Greatly missed in a Shrimpers shirtIt seems a strange thing to say when we've picked up four points from the last two home games but midfielder Kane Ferdinand has been missed while injured and sitting in the stands for the 2-1 win over Barnet and the 1-1 draw with Northampton Town at Roots Hall.His calmness and skill playing in front of the back four, even slotting in at centre-half when Bilel Mohsni went off injured against Shrewsbury, has impressed many a Championship club scout as we know, still no pro contract signed and at the end of March he can walk away for nothing, which over half of you in a recent S24 poll believe he's going to do.And as well as the side has done in grabbing the points with tired legs trading water towards the end of both games what has been obvious to most of the home faithful is that there is no one to take over his role which has given us such stability in defence in our run of one defeat in nine games that has taken us to one point outside the play-off zone.I believed captain Craig Easton would fill that role but he got forward as much as he usually does it both games last week and replacement Lee Sawyer is certainly not the player to waste in a defensive role when his obvious attacking skills are for all to see.No, now we enter three tough fixtures, two away from the comforts of the home of football, one of those against Tilly's Lincoln City, (and both now without the obvious talent's of inger Ryan Hall), we need Kane's obvious skills in that vital position.Let's hope the medical staff give Luggy the thumbs up for his young star to take his place in the starting eleven. Oh, and Mark Phillips being able to join the squad would be nice as well, poor old Luke Prosser had a nightmare against Aveley on Monday!Blues boss Paul Sturrock told www.echo-news.co.uk: "Kane Ferdinand has missed our last two matches with an ankle problem and he will face a fitness test today or tomorrow. We will also check on Mark Phillips to see how his groin is."
