Club hope to have captain back after illness

Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis is hopeful of having his captain Matt Tootle available for this weekend’s home game against Doncaster. Tootle, 24, has not featured in the club’s last five games after being hit hard by a viral infection.

The right-back has been able to regain some weight and has made significant progress over the past week to give him a real chance of a return this weekend.

Steve told the club’s official web-site: “Matt has been hit hard by the virus but he has been making real progress.

“He has been in when the other players have been off and he is getting closer. We will assess him over the next few days and see if he is ready to return.

“He is feeling better and improving. He was stiff when he first came back into it but he has come through that and his weight and fitness has improved.

The boss added: “We will give him as long as possible to see if he will declare himself fit and available because we know what a key player he is for us.”