Lee Clark verdict on Jack Hunter at centre-back amid Hartlepool United injury woes
Lee Clark has been discussing Jack Hunter’s role in the Hartlepool United side.
Lee Clark has praised the impact of Jack Hunter at centre-back but hasn’t ruled out moving back into the transfer market after the injury blow to Max Kouogun.
It was revealed on Thursday that Kouogun is facing a minimum of two months out injured but it could be as many as three months if surgery is needed on the ligament damage he suffered in the Eastleigh game. Clark says he is happy with his current options but hasn’t ruled out further reinforcements in that area of the team. On-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Max Merrick is also out for six weeks with a thigh tear.
Pools beat Woking 1-0 last weekend, with club captain Hunter lining up at centre-half, and Clark will be hoping his side make it back-to-back wins when they travel to Kidderminster Harriers on Friday night. Hunter is a midfielder by trade but did play in central defence last season.
Therefore, is Hunter a longer term option for Clark at centre-back then, given the injury blow to Kouogun, or will Pools have to dip back into the transfer market?
Clark, speaking at his pre-match press conference, told the Mail: “I think Jack showed even last season in spells and having worked with him before that, it's not an issue for him. I am a manager who likes to have players in their proper position but Jack probably classes as a centre-half and centre-midfield player because he's done it that often.
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“So he's not playing out of position, he's not playing on his weaker foot or anything like that. I thought his performance against Woking was probably his best performance of the season. We've obviously got Liam [Gibson] who can come in as a centre-back, but he does tremendous at left-back and had a great 45 minutes against Everton on Tuesday as well in the same position.
“So, even though we've lost Max which is a blow, there are the solutions there for us to have the centre-half position covered. Young Charlie Penman's still learning his trade, but there was an improvement in his performance against Everton. When we're having the discussion over the goalkeeping situation, that'll get brought up as well, of course, to see what we do with that.
“That might be accelerated if we get the bad news that surgery is required with Max. We're obviously waiting to have the meeting with the consultant, so he'll tell us what the solution will be to the injury.”