Steve Davis says he will continue to be careful with teenage starlet

Teenager George Cooper was simply given a timely rest on Tuesday evening explains manager Steve Davis. Cooper came on as a second half substitute in the club’s 1-0 win over Darren Ferguson’s side and created a late chance for Bradden Inman to seal the points but unfortunately he pulled his shot just wide of the mark.

Davis has being saying for a while that he will continue to monitor the fitness levels of the 17-year-old to get the best out of him. The Alex boss felt that starting three games in short succession would have been detrimental to his development and he elected to bring back Marcus Haber.

Steve told the club’s official web-site: “I chose to make the one change on Tuesday and that was to give George a rest. I just thought playing three games in succession in a short space of time would have taken too much out of him.

“He had struggled with a touch of cramp against Walsall and there were signs that he was feeling a bit. We will continue to be cautious with him and assess how he is. I’ve already said that we have to be careful with him and remember how young he is.

 “It is my job to take him out when I think he needs a break and on Tuesday I elected to bring Marcus (Haber) back in. He offered us a different option up there with his height and strength. Marcus gave us a physical presence up there and I was pleased with the victory. It was a hard fought game.”