Gareth Ainsworth believes getting his ailing Wycombe Wanderers squad back up to full fitness will give the club a helping hand in the season run in.

The Chairboys are currently without Luke O’Nien, Sam Wood, Paris Cowan-Hall, Alex Lynch and Danny Rowe.

It is a situation which has forced Ainsworth to name a six man bench in the club’s last two outings and the Wycombe boss says it has had an impact.

He said: “It is huge for us to get those players back as soon as we can and I don’t think there is another club in the Football League who couldn’t name seven substitutes.

“I can’t stress enough that injuries kill us and we are still in big financial difficulty so can’t have the squad to absorb lots of injuries.”

Ainsworth has had to tamper with formations and play players out of position in recent week, such is the sparsity of options at his disposal. There are signs of things improving though.

While Millwall loanee Cowan-Hall is expected to miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury the likes of O’Nien and Lynch are nearing a return.

The 21-year-old midfielder is still a doubt for the Blues next match, however, and along with Wood is viewed as a big loss.

Ainsworth explained: “They are very big players and would walk into most teams in League Two, so are big loses.

“One or two of the injured players are very close to a return, but to have had the likes of Sam Wood and Luke O’Nien out for a few weeks has had a big impact on us.”