Blackpool face Sunderland in friendly as long-term absentee continues recovery

Neil Critchley believes that Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel could play for Blackpool in the league in the coming weeks, and hopes that he can be ready should he be included.

Lawrence-Gabriel has been dealing with a knee injury since April, and spent six-months on the sidelines. He returned to the pitch earlier this month, playing 45 minutes against Morecambe in the EFL Trophy last week.

He wasn't amongst the substitutes in the 4-0 win against Shrewsbury but the 25-year-old did play an hour for Stephen Dobbie's Development squad in the week, losing 3-0 to Championship outfit Sunderland in a friendly. The right-back was the only real senior player featuring for the team, with Donovan Lescott and Will Squires who played in the EFL Trophy also featuring.

Lawrence-Gabriel will be tasked with displacing CJ Hamilton in the side, who has been ever present this campaign. Hamilton however is reportedly wanted by two Championship clubs and a League One rival, and so Gabriel's availability will be key should there be transfer movement in the winter window.

Asked if he'll be close in the next couple of weeks, Critchley said: "Yeah, he will be. It was always the plan for him to play 45 minutes. He's been out for practically six months really since April. I thought he did well in the week (Morecambe) as well.

"He looked really sharp. Keep building on his fitness, give him a run of training and also look to when he can play some minutes in some games."

Critchley since taking over for the second time at Bloomfield Road, has tried to utilise his entire squad. He has rotated the team for several matches, and has given an opportunity to players who have had to bide their time.

The most recent example being striker Jake Beesley, who scored a brace in midweek, and following injuries to Kylian Kouassi and Shayne Lavery, took his opportunity with a brace against Shrewsbury Town last weekend.

He said: "You see the squad that we've got you see Dom Thompson was in the squad last week, he's not in the squad today and that's just tactical reasons sometimes. The players have to get used to how we work and how I work.

"It's not easy for them as you can find yourself in the team and then not in the squad. You're not in the squad and then you're starting next week. The players have to be ready all the time, hence Jake Beesley getting his goals."