Barnet FC v Harrogate Town: Some positive news for Sulphurites on injury front

The Sulphurites headed into last weekend's 2-0 home defeat to Walsall missing nine senior professionals due to fitness issues after winger Ellis Taylor became the latest member of their squad to pick up an injury.

But Town should have forward Conor McAleny back in their squad at The Hive after he returned to training earlier in the week.

The 33-year-old, who has netted two goals so far this term, had been sidelined with a groin issue picked up during Harrogate's 3-1 EFL Trophy win over Newcastle United Under-21s on November 11.

Weaver has also been boosted by some positive developments concerning long-term absentee George Thomson.

The influential midfielder has suffered a number of setbacks during his recovery from a troublesome and complicated achilles issue, which initially flared up following Town's 2024/25 season-opener against Bromley.

But, having not kicked a ball in anger for the Sulphurites in more than 15 months, Thomson is running again, has begun doing some light ball work, and could be back in full training by Christmas time.

All being well, Weaver is hopeful that the former Nottingham Forest trainee could be back playing again early in 2026.

The news regarding 22-year-old Taylor does however come as a real blow for Town, with the thigh problem that materialised in training in the lead up to the Walsall game expected to rule him out for approximately 12 weeks.

Harrogate were already without defenders Lewis Cass, Bobby Faulkner, Tom Bradbury and Liam Gibson, midfielders Thomson and Tom Hill, and striker Mason Bennett.

Barnet were promoted from the National League as champions at the end of last term and have adjusted to life back in League Two reasonably well.

With six wins and as many draws from their opening 17 matches, the Bees have proved hard to beat, and currently sit 14th in the table, nine points better off than their visitors at the weekend.

They are without a win in their last four matches, but also unbeaten in that period having drawn with Barrow, MK Dons, Cambridge United and, most recently, Gillingham.

Town visited The Hive twice during their National League days, losing 1-0 to a Dave Tarpey goal on their first outing there back in March 2019.

They returned in February of the following season, but that game was abandoned at half-time due to a waterlogged pitch. George Thomson had fired Harrogate ahead inside 20 seconds, with Paul McCallum equalising shortly before the interval.

The fixture was never replayed due to the 2019/20 season being brought to a premature conclusion by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Sulphurites have however won both of their two previous home meetings with Barnet. They triumphed 2-0 in August 2018 to record their first-ever National League victory, then by a 2-1 score-line in October 2019.

Saturday’s game gets underway at 3pm.