Paul Cook has spoken of the difficulty he has keeping his whole squad happy - ahead of the crucial run-in when he will need everyone at their best and most committed.

He made the comments as he hinted Adam McGurk would have a big part to play over the remaining games despite not having had an elongated run in the starting line-up.

McGurk could be given the job of replacing the suspended Gary Roberts at Mansfield on Saturday but Cook said all the players who had not been regulars were important to him.

He told The News: ‘The balance of the squad is there. You struggle to keep them all happy. I do try to juggle the balls to keep them happy. I want them to have a sense of how important they are.

‘It wouldn’t be normal if there wasn’t a moan or two. My job is to keep the supporters happy, the people at the club happy and the players happy. You do have to disappoint one or two of them, but Adam will be back in our team by the end of the season.

‘It’s tough disappointing players. Ben Close hasn’t travelled to the last couple of games. He was outstanding in that spell in the team. That’s the difficulty of having larger numbers in the squad.’

Cook said McGurk was ready and raring to help the team, saying: 'Adam’s back to fitness. He hasn’t had that run yet. That’s tough on him because he’s a smashing player. He needs that run of consecutive games to hopefully pick that up.

‘Hopefully, between now and the end of the season, he’ll get that chance to show how good he is. Again, he’s a massive part of the squad. If these people get called into the team I wouldn’t blink.

‘He was left out through selection in the past few games, but the competition for places is there. That’s the reality. I can’t keep everyone happy. It’s important when players get the chance they take it.

‘Adam struggled with injury. His last game was Barnet away and then he wasn’t fit for Cambridge at home. That’s been a problem. It’s been one in and one out, and that’s not a criticism of Adam in any shape or form.’

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