Andre Breitenreiter explains Huddersfield Town selection decision as Healey reason given

Huddersfield Town head coach Andre Breitenreiter believes that some of his players are currently “not fit” enough to start matches.

The Terriers’ boss opted to stick with the same starting lineup for Saturday’s clash against Swansea City, which ended in a 4-0 defeat for his side. Jamal Lowe gave the visitors a 73rd-minute lead at the John Smith’s Stadium, before late strikes from Ronald, Jerry Yates and Liam Walsh consigned the Terriers to a heavy defeat.

However, the same team had put in a much better showing away to Bristol City the week before, where Town were moments away from registering a vital victory, before they conceded deep into injury-time to draw 1-1 at Ashton Gate. That display prompted Breitenreiter to go with the same starting 11 against the Swans, but the head coach was left disappointed with his side’s first-half performance on Saturday.

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The Terriers’ boss opted to ring the changes on the hour mark, bringing Jaheim Headley, Rhys Healey and Danny Ward into the fray, but the head coach defended his initial team selection after the game.

“There was no reason to change the lineup, because last weekend, the lineup they played really, really well, and we had a big win in Bristol,” Breitenreiter told BBC Radio Leeds. “It was an incorrect decision that we lost two points, but there was no reason [to change the team]. Then I have to say that maybe the fans, they are asking for some players, but I see the players the whole week, and many players are not fit.

“They are not in every training session, so I want to have always the best players on the pitch, and this is most of the time a result of the training sessions. This is the reason always for the lineup. I understand when they ask for experienced players, but then also these players have to show in the training session [that they are capable of starting games].”

In particular, January signing Healey has only been deemed able to feature as a second-half substitute following his return from injury. The striker started three successive matches following his move from Watford, but the forward sustained a groin injury against Sheffield Wednesday that kept him sidelined for almost two months of the campaign.

Healey has now been deployed as a second-half substitute in each of the past six matches for Town, and Breitenreiter believes the striker can currently have a greater impact against tiring sides when being brought on from the bench.

“We spoke last week, he came to my office and we spoke honestly about the whole situation,” Breitenreiter said at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s defeat. “I’m really, really glad that he was earlier back than we could expect, because he had a big injury, but he has also the will to help and to show his best. He showed [that], he scored twice.

“When you watch the little details, you can see that he’s not fit, and it’s not possible for him to get fit. Then you have to take the right decision, what makes sense. Sometimes it’s for him, and this is for me one of the reasons he scored at the end of the games, because all of the other players are a little bit more tired, and then he came fresh into the game, and then in 20 to 30 minutes, it’s much easier for him to show his best performance.

“When he starts and all the players are fresh, then he is not near to 100 per cent, but 80 per cent he can show at the end of the game, and then you have a new, big impact in your game.”