By Joe Jones
Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke has admitted that his squad is currently being stretched to the limit ahead of their FA Cup first-round trip to Notts County.
The Pirates have a fairly small senior squad as it is, with 24 players - Notts, in comparison, have 29 - and have been hit by injuries, with the likes of star winger Billy Bodin and defender James Clarke currently out.
Rovers have played 21 games so far this season and, although Clarke did manage to rest some of his key players in the EFL Trophy defeat to West Ham in midweek, he admitted that it's a juggling act at the minute.
"I managed to rest a few in midweek," Clarke told the Bristol Post. "That was our 21st game, that seems a hell of a lot of games given we're only just into November.
"I've not got a massive first team squad and it was important that I rested a few the other night, so we're ready to go on Friday. Something has got to give, even Premier League managers are moaning and they've only played 10 league games!
"I've got injuries. I've got James Clarke long term. I've got Billy Bodin. I've picked up one or two more injuries and knocks this week as well. All of a sudden the signs are that we're pretty depleted, which we can't afford to be.
"I've got a squad of seniors but three or four are only 20 or 21 years of age. We're not blessed with a massively big squad, we've got an Under 21's which we've just set up and we want to build them into better players.
"I've haven't got the biggest squad in the world, we have to make sure we balance it right because I've got injuries to squad players and we've picked up one or two minor injuries this week. We've got be careful how we manage it."
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