Elliot Embleton and Reece Hall-Johnson missing for Grimsby

Posted Saturday, November 17, 2018 by PA

Grimsby will be without on-loan Sunderland midfielder Elliot Embleton and right-back Reece Hall-Johnson for Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two clash with Crawley at Blundell Park.

Manager Michael Jolley says Embleton will be playing for England Under-20s in their friendly with Germany on Monday and will return to the Mariners next week while Hall-Johnson (groin) will be out for three weeks.

However, the Mariners have been handed injury boosts ahead of the clash with 12th-placed Town, with midfielder Mitch Rose and defender Alex Whitmore in contention for a return to the squad.

Rose was able to rejoin training on Thursday while Whitmore has shaken off a rib injury.

Former QPR striker Reece Grego-Cox has put himself contention for selection, according to Crawley head coach Gabriele Cioffi.

Since joining Crawley from Woking in the summer, the 22-year-old has only made one start in the league, plus three appearances from the bench.

However, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international impressed Grego-Cox during Reds’ 2-1 defeat at League One side Gillingham in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday.

Cioffi told the Crawley Observer: “He has shown me that his standard of training has massively improved and is really high and for sure he is a player I can trust. If he is able to keep up this standard of training, we can go forward together.”