The games are coming thick and fast straight off the back of the international break, with North End's injury hit squad tested to the max during a long midweek trip to Plymouth just three days after a hard fought victory over Reading.

That, however, is not a concern to the boss, with Alan Irvine simply keen to keep on working hard for the rewards at Home Park.

Rather than lamenting those he has lost - with the likes of Chris Brown, Richard Chaplow, Callum Davidson and Michael Hart all having missed Saturday's fixture - his focus is primarily fixed upon those he can call upon to do battle in Devon. He explained:

"It's a very small squad to choose from so everyone is in contention for a starting place, and there were only two players who missed out on the starting 16 on Saturday.

"I'm hoping that some of the players who missed out on Saturday through injury will be available for Plymouth, but I've got question marks against some of the names at the moment. I'll be finding out before the game how they are.

"You have to have a squad in order to be ready for when injuries and suspensions hit throughout the season. We happen to be hit particularly hard at this moment, and that reduces my options, not only in terms of selecting a team but also in terms of substitutions because I was ready at any time on Saturday for Youl or Billy to come off.

"I've spoken to Billy since Saturday's game and he's fine now - he sounded like he was back to normal when I had a chat to him. Likewise Youl is fine too.

"It makes a difference to teams to be missing players. I was driving home after our game on Saturday and heard Jimmy Armfield on the radio saying how much of a difference it makes for Manchester United to be missing four or five players. If it makes that much difference to them, imagine what it does for us to have nine out! It's something I don't like to make too much of though, because the most important players to us are the ones who are fit.

"You have to prepare for the game on the basis of the players you know are available so we've trained on Monday with a fairly light session because we have to ensure we have as much energy as possible for the next game. The travelling to long distance fixtures can take it out of the players too, but it's all part of the game and players should be used to that.

"It's not as if we were going to be stuck on a coach for eight hours because we've flown down and the lads are well looked after before we travel and when we get there. We use the day on Tuesday to have a light training session and generally prepare ourselves for the game.

"Recovery and your preparation for games are two vital things - if you keep on getting them wrong you'll have a problem. I think we're certainly very thorough in how we help the players to recover because you always have to recover quickly from some very hard games in the Championship."

Irvine knows that the lengthiest away trip of the season can't be taken lightly, and looks forward to being re-acquainted with an old pal who now manages the Pilgrims and a striker who worked closely with the boss last season, Paul Gallagher. The boss explained:

"They had a bit of a shaky start, but then they went on a very good run until losing on Saturday. They're a hard working, well organised team, and I know Paul Sturrock well - he'll have them playing good football.

"This is a really tough game, everybody knows how difficult it is to go to Plymouth, and prior to the weekend they were in a very good vein of form.

"Gally has gone down there and is doing very well. I like Gally, he's a good player, and he's got a lot of ability. I enjoyed working with him in the time he was here.

"He's gone down there now - something he sees as a big chance - and he has started very well."

From one former striker to one who is very much at the centre of North End's plans right now, Jon Parkin. 'The Beast' has been unlucky not to have scored in and of his opening eight appearances for his new Club, but the manager is far from concerned with the way things are progressing for his hard-working front man.

"Jon has a proven record of scoring goals so I'm not worried about that," he explained. "He had a couple of good attempts on Saturday where Marcus Hahnemann made some great saves to keep him out so I'm sure Jon will score goals for us. Had it not been for those fantastic saves he would have been off the mark at the weekend.

"No doubt every striker wants to score goals for the team, and time will tell where he ends up in the scoring charts, but he is doing other jobs for the team as well.

"He hasn't played much football over the last few seasons and he also said to me that he didn't really train that much at Stoke. He's had a bit of catching up to do, but I think he has started well with us.

"Maybe he had a bit of a dip at one point because he was a bit fatigued through the intensity of our training and the demands of the games, but I feel that he looks stronger and fitter now."

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