4th August 2000
4th August 2000 NEW SIGNING Carlo Corazzin will make his eagerly awaited debut for Athletic in Sunday's friendly match with Premiership giants Leeds United, at Boundary Park (3 pm). Manager Andy Ritchie has confirmed that the 28-year-old striker, who has been capped 47 times by Canada, will get a starting spot. But it is anybody's guess who will partner Corazzin — the free transfer signing from Northampton, for whom he scored 15 goals last season. Ritchie hasn't decided who will play alongside Corazzin, saying: "We have three or four other strikers and it is up to them to prove to me which of them should be Carlo's strike partner. "You need healthy competition and we certainly have that among our forwards." Ritchie has a choice between transfer-listed Mark Allott, Steve Whitehall, Matthew Tipton and Ryan Sugden. Allott appears the slight favourite ahead of Whitehall on the evidence of pre-season so far.
Ritchie has named a 19-man squad for Sunday's match — the 16 players who took part in the Isle of Man tournament plus Corazzin, Stuart Thom and Danny Walsh. Thom and Walsh, who both missed a big chunk of last season through injury and illness, were left behind so they could get more match action in the reserves. The pair have done so well — Walsh has scored four times in six matches — that Ritchie calls them into his plans. Athletic (probable): Kelly, Jones, Garnett, Hotte, Adams, Holt, Sheridan, Duxbury, Rickers, Corazzin, Allott or Whitehall. Subs: Innes, Boshell, Tipton, Dudley, Thom, Walsh.
Ritchie, who is pleased with his side's preparations so far, is looking forward to playing Premiership opposition, though it is unlikely Leeds will field their strongest line-up. Leeds, who recently agreed to partly fund Athletic's youth set-up in a ground-breaking move, also play at Huddersfield tomorrow and on Wednesday begin their Champions League campaign against German side TSV 1860 Munich at Elland Road. Their pre-season has also been disrupted with injuries to eight senior players. Harry Kewell and Jason Wilcox will miss the start of the season, while Jonathan Woodgate and Lucas Radebe have yet to kick a ball, though they are earmarked for a return either tomorrow or against Athletic. It is likely that manager David O'Leary will err on the side of caution with his team selection in the build-up to the Champions League.
ATHLETIC reserves were held to a goalless draw at non-league Mossley last night, Danny Boshell and Ben Futcher coming closest to breaking the stalemate in a disappointing display.