Northampton Town attacker Tyler Roberts has revealed his frustration that he will miss this weekend’s League One showdown against Birmingham City.
The 26-year-old headed to Sixfields on a season-long deal last summer from the Blues, meaning he is ineligible to appear when the two teams meet on Saturday. It comes at a time when the former Leeds United man has just scored his first goal for the Cobblers in a 2-1 win over Leyton Orient, ending a two-year wait to find the back of the net.
Roberts joined Birmingham from Leeds in 2023, but a series of injuries meant his impact was limited. With the West Midlanders bringing in a wealth of attacking talent, he was allowed to join Northampton on a temporary deal, where time on the treatment table as once again halted his progress.
Roberts Frustrated With Timing
Having returned to the squad at the beginning of the month, Roberts was handed a start on Saturday. He was praised by manager Kevin Nolan for his performance but will miss out when Northampton next take to the pitch. Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, the Wales international said:
“It’s a bit frustrating that the Birmingham one comes now. Obviously getting the goal, you want to carry on the run.
“The last nine games (after Birmingham) are going to be big. We’ve shown since the gaffer’s [Kevin Nolan] come in that we can cause problems for anybody.
“We’re looking up, for sure, we’re not looking down.”
Northampton’s victory over Orient lifted them to 17th in the League One table. Although not guaranteed, relegation looks unlikely, and they now sit eight points above the drop zone with 10 games left to play.
Writer’s View
Having made 50 Premier League appearances during his time with Leeds, the last couple of seasons must have been frustrating for Tyler Roberts. He will be a player who believes he should be playing higher up the football pyramid, but a series of injuries have hampered his progress in recent years. Whilst the timing of the Birmingham game is undoubtedly a blow, the attacker will be targeting an immediate return against Blackpool later this month. Building on his maiden goal against Leyton Orient will be at the forefront of both his and manager Kevin Nolan’s mind, and his experience could be the difference during the business end of the campaign.
