Huddersfield Town's Brodie Spencer feeling benefit of punishing training as he moves from Nations League to Championship

In the midst of a terrible injury crisis, Huddersfield Town have needed others to step forward and will do again at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Ben Jackson has recovered from the kick to the shin which saw him stretchered off in midweek but Yuta Nakayama is unlikely to play again this season and Tom Lees is still "struggling" with Covid-19.

Fotheringham has spoken with pride about how training has prepared his fringe men to step up.

"I've never trained like this in my life," said 18-year-old right-back Brodie Spencer. "Sometimes I walk off nearly being sick it's so tough.

"I enjoy that. It's a real test of my character, it shows me who I really am. On Wednesday we were able to keep pushing on."

Spencer began his career the wrong way round, winning three Northern Ireland caps in June before Wednesday’s league debut.

"International football is very intense too but Championship football is very hard," he reflects. "Every team from the bottom to the top is so similar (in standard) and each game can go any way.

"I've never felt like I did after Wednesday night, I could just about walk out of the stadium. I could see why he (Fotheringham) pushes us so hard in training."

Spencer says he was under no illusions about waltzing into club football after playing Nations League football.

"I didn't think I was going to walk into this team with the strength of the squad so it was just about not getting frustrated and waiting for my opportunity," he says.

Fotheringham hopes to have 11 injured players back after the World Cup but first come three more matches Spencer is sure to be needed in.

"He's been in my head in recent weeks because he's really shown well in training and he plays like a man," says his coach.

"He passes well, he tackles well, he runs hard. That's what the top players in the world do – they're not doing flicks and tricks, they're not doing double shuffles and stepovers.

"Brodie does all the basics at a good level and he's a tough kid."