Brisbane Road manager discusses constant changes to the team and injuries

Leyton Orient boss Fabio Liverani has admitted injuries have been a big problem for him during his tenure at the club and have been one of the main reasons why he has constantly changed his starting team.

The Italian has been O’s manager since December 8, but has failed to lead the team out of the bottom four. He has taken charge of 26 league matches and overseen just eight victories.

Orient are 23rd in the table and must defeat play-off side Swindon Town at the County Ground to stay up, whilst hope results elsewhere go their way.

Liverani’s constant changes to the starting team don’t appear to have been beneficial and he has only kept the same 11 once - for the clash with Bristol City on March 3 after Orient defeated Walsall three days earlier.

But O’s manager insists this has mainly been because injuries have restricted the availability of certain players.

“I have made changes because many times we have had injuries,” said Liverani via a translator.

“Sometimes I change the team for injury reasons and sometimes I change it because of a tactical decision because I am always valuing the effort the player puts in on the pitch so every week it looks different.

“The injuries for me have been a very big problem. We have had too many injuries over the last six months.

“It is difficult when you don’t have a player for many weeks and this is probably one of the biggest problems we have had, but when you are in this situation it doesn’t just depend on one reason but many reasons all together.”

Thankfully for Orient they have had no new injury worries this week, but Liverani admitted nobody has recovered who wasn’t available against Sheffield United on Saturday.

He insists the players are focused on the task at hand and is sure they will give everything they have on Sunday to give the Brisbane Road club a chance of remaining in League One.

“The players have been very focused in training and during the matches this week,” added Liverani.

“This last game of the season is very important. In this moment for us it is very important to win, but obviously it depends on other results.

“It is the last game so it is very important the players give 100 per cent. We still have two or three days to make a decision about the first team for Swindon.”