Charlton boss Nathan Jones gives Reece Burke and Luke Berry injury update ahead of Middlesbrough

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones provided an injury update on key first team stars following the 1-0 victory over Birmingham City on Saturday.

The Addicks climbed to 18th in the second tier and moved nine points above the drop zone with a win over Chris Davies’ side. Jones secured those three points without the services of stars including Reece Burke and Luke Berry.

The fixtures continue to come thick and fast for Charlton Athletic, with Jones bemoaning another week with a lot of travel at the weekend. The Addicks make the trip to Middlesbrough on Wednesday night before then taking on Oxford United in the early kick off next weekend.

When asked for an injury update in his post-match press conference, Jones said: “They [Burke and Berry] picked up muscular injuries. We’re trying to manage it. We have an excellent environment. [Collins] Sichenje is the unfortunate one. Burke has had some problems this year and we have got to get to the bottom of that. Berry hadn’t played much and then picked up something.

“Sichenje was a victim of circumstance. He played 90 minutes [v Southampton]. We put him on for the West Brom game, Lloyd [Jones] went down after 20 odd minutes. We had to play him, put him back out. Burke went down after 11 minutes [v Wrexham], so we had to play him. Then he picked up something from there.

“He’s been on a pre-season in Serbia and the intensity of the Championship - without being disrespectful to any other league - is considerably higher than a lot of European leagues. We knew he was at risk but that’s football and needs must.”

Nathan Jones criticises Championship scheduling

Jones went on to lament the busy Championship schedule as something that also hasn’t helped Sichenje since arriving at The Valley. Charlton Athletic snapped up the defender from Vojvodina at the end of the January window.

Jones said: “We’re taking it day by day. We can’t push it because he could get re-injured. The Championship is such a relentless league and the travelling, the tempo, the game. There’s not enough time for your muscles to recover.

“Someone puts us away at Middlesbrough at 8 pm on Wednesday night and then it’s a 12:30 pm kick off away at Oxford on Saturday. It’s crazy, they have no idea what footballers go through.”

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