Ben Garner has provided an encouraging injury update ahead of Tuesday's game against Forest Green Rovers at The Valley.
The Addicks boss confirmed summer recruit Mandela Egbo is back fit, while a few more players have also returned to training at Sparrows Lane.
“We’re much better than where we were so that’s pleasing,” revealed Garner. “We’ve had a couple back in training which is great. I’m just going to go and find out about one or two after this but we’re in a much better place than what we were going into the Bolton game, so fingers crossed we can keep everyone fit and get the last one or two back as quickly as we can.
“There should be another one coming back in this week and then that would only leave one then," he added. "It's positive news on that front and it's good to have some players coming back in and adding to the competition within the team.”
Charlton added to their ranks with the signing of centre-back Terell Thomas last Wednesday and Garner detailed what his eighth recruit brings to his squad.
“The key with Terell is that he knows the club and he come through the academy here,” the boss explained. “He’s played from League Two through to the Championship, so he has a good level of experience now and we wanted greater depth and competition in that position.
“Also for the reason that I like what we’ve done with Deji [Elerewe] to get him out on loan. I’d like to do that with possibly one of the other younger centre-backs as well, because I think they need to play regular games at that age and get that experience.
"Terell allows us to do that now and gives us competition. I also think he gives us versatility where we’ve got more of an option to go to a back-three now when we need to and the big thing is more competition in the squad which is what we needed.”
Asked whether the Addicks are still exploring the free agent market, Garner said: “There’s no one that springs to mind now within the free agents. I think our squad is what it is now through until January and it’s about maximising that.
"It’s about a lot of work on the training ground now, making players better and hopefully one or two of the academy players can push in and give us greater competition within the squad.
“I don’t just want those players to feel like getting in the squad is an achievement. I want them to want the shirt, have respect for the players within the group and actually want to overtake them because it does two things. It makes them better, but also the player that’s got the shirt knows, 'well, I’ve got to step on now’ and for me we keep doing that. That’s how we can keep developing and growing as a club.”
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(Article by Tyler Rowlinson)