A Lorra Lorra Boro

The duo signed for Argyle after the Greens last Sky Bet League Two fixture, but with focus on Argyle’s huge Emirates FA Cup tie against Liverpool enveloping the club, the cup-tied new boys had to watch on from afar. 

“I’m delighted that they are available for this game,” said Derek. “They become unavailable again for Wednesday but it’s good to have them in and around the squad to get to know the football club. 

“It’s not been easy for them because we’ve been in the FA Cup and they’ve not been part of it but hopefully they’ll do well in training and we’ll see how they get on in training.”

Neither are guaranteed action, or even a place on the bench. However, Gary Miller’s injury, suffered in the heroic 0-0 draw at Anfield, has opened up at least one spot. 

The knock has ruled Argyle’s right-back out for the near-future. The good news, if one can derive good news from an ankle ligament injury, is that Gary may not be sidelined for as long as first feared. 

“He’s got ankle ligament damage,” said Derek. “It’s better than we first thought on Sunday. Hopefully it’s not too long, we’re probably looking round about the four week mark before he’s back. 

“He came down awkwardly onto the ground and twisted his ankle. A lot of swelling and bruising. Over the next week to 10 days, that will quickly come down and we’ll see it is, strength-wise, after that. 

“Looking at it when it happened, you see it on the video, it didn’t look good but sometimes these things look worse than they actually are.”

Derek remains on the lookout for more faces to add to the squad during the January window, but believes there will be no fresh incomings before Saturday’s game. 

“We’re still working away in the background but unless I get a telephone call when someone says ‘yes’ then, at this moment in time, no,” said Derek. 

There has been a danger in some parts that the Stevenage game has been forgotten a little. With the hype surrounding an unlikely pair of matches with Liverpool, the visit of another team in red and white has been a little under the radar. 

Not to Derek, though. Any threat of the manager or his team looking straight past Stevenage towards the glamour of the Liverpool game is swiftly dismissed by the gaffer. 

“It’s an important match,” said Derek. “It’s another league game and one that we will try and win. It will give us an extra three points to our total. 

“It was a tough game up there even though we won. They are a side that like to harry and press. I think they played 14 at home and 11 away, something like that, but it’s a game that if we play to our full ability then we can win. 

“It’s a big game, as big as any other game we have towards the end of the season.”