Some good and some bad injury news as Peterborough United approach first game of the EFL season

There was much disappointment from fans on Saturday when neither Tom O’Connor nor Sam Hughes were named in the squad that ultimately lost 2-0 in the club’s final pre-season friendly against Championship side West Brom at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Neither of the centre-backs have featured in pre-season following prolonged spells on the sidelines.

O’Connor has not played a match January 17, 2026 while Hughes has not appeared in a competitive match since April 30, 2025.

Both were out on the pitch ahead of kick-off against ‘The Baggies’ completing passing and running drills, but Posh boss Luke Williams would not commit to a return date for either, simply stating both were ‘close.’

Williams said: “They are doing well and are training with the full squad. They have been hitting their markers with high-speed running and sprinting and overall volume. They are getting close now.

“It was probably unnecessary to try and get them some match minutes today, but we are pleased as they are in a good place now.”

Posh are set to have to wait longer for the return of Matt Garbett and even Rio Adebisi.

Matt Garbett was cruelly denied his dream of playing in the World Cup this summer with a hamstring injury. Williams has confirmed that he is not yet close to a return to the grass.

Rio Adebisi has endured a horrible Posh career of just 12 minutes in two seasons and a return doesn’t appear to be close either.

On both, Williams added: “Matty has a way to go with his rehabilitation. He’s grafting away, but he’s got a way to go before we see him on the grass.

"Rio is doing well. He’s still got a way to go. We don't have a timescale for him at the moment.”

One player Posh may have around the squad for the upcoming season is Chris Conn-Clarke. He remains on the transfer list, but has featured prominently in pre-season and started the final match of pre-season.

The Posh boss had admitted to being impressed with the attacking midfielder after he initially returned in a poor physical condition.

Williams added: “Chris is still under contract with us so we have to make sure he is in the best possible condition. He was in the wrong condition when he reported back for pre-season training.

"He was a long way off where he needed to be. He has worked very, very hard and of course, whether he is our player or whether a club is interested in him, nothing can happen if you’re in the wrong condition.

"He has worked very hard and applied himself and shown some quality. We can see why he has made it this far, he has quality and now has to bring consistency and remain in a good condition physically.”

Williams was pleased with the resilience his side showed against West Brom in the first half but that gave way to disappointment in the second with the nature of the goals conceded and the failure to create a clear-cut chance.

He added: “That was a big step up and exactly the kind of challenge we want to come up against. We don’t like to lose any game, but there some positive particularly in the first half. It was really disappointing to concede two goals in the second period and to look more vulnerable. I had enjoyed seeing how robust we were defensively.

“We didn’t really create anything clear cut, but we got into good positions without making the most of them.

Posh begin their season next Saturday (August 8) when they travel to face League Two side Bristol Rovers in the first round of the Carabao Cup.