Pearson's Fitness Update

“Chris Wood has gone home today with some sort of infection,” Pearson explained. “But whether he’ll shake that off before Boxing Day I don’t know. Apart from that, it’s really as we were.” 

Zoumana Bakayogo is missing for the trip as he continues to recover from a knee injury, while David Nugent returned from illness to play a part in the second half of last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham. 

Defender Matthew Upson is training with the squad and edging closer to full fitness, with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel currently recovering from a broken metatarsal. 

On the Denmark international stopper, Pearson added: “It (how long he will be out) depends on how the initial period of rehabilitation goes. Of course, these sorts of injuries in particular can be troublesome in terms of coming back slightly too early. 

“There’s been plenty of players who have had a reoccurrence because of coming back slightly too early. We will assess that and we’ll have to cope in the meantime.”