Simon Church is part of the Welsh squad with Rhoys Wiggins on stand by.

Former Charlton keeper, Rob Elliot, has replaced his old Addicks colleague Darren Randolph in the Irish squad. The 27-year-old Greenwich born keeper qualifies for Ireland through his mother’s family being Irish.

There will be plenty of work going on at Sparrows Lane during the break, both on the training field and in the treatment room. The players will have a work out at the end of the week to keep them match sharp as well.

Chris Powell was happy to have kept a first Valley clean sheet in nearly a year but must be concerned with his team’s lack of cutting edge, particularly with the run of games they have during this month and November. These are his reflections are Saturday’s draw with Blackpool:

“It’s our first clean sheet of this season and the first one at home since November,” he said.

“I’ve been willing us to get one and it’s been individual mistakes that have really cost us. So in respect of today, the positive is the clean sheet and another point for us, especially with the players that we have available.

“I’m missing a number of key players. The boys that are out there are willing themselves and pushing themselves to try and get us wins and try and get us points.

“We’ve played two of the top six, with arguably our weakest squad because of injuries and they’ve managed to get two real positive draws.

“Of course we are in the business to win games but I suppose really looking at it I’ve got to take the positives. A 1-1 against Forest and a 0-0 against Blackpool has arrested the three defeats that we had previously and we can now to our best to try and build on that,” said Powell.

I am not sure many would agree that the point gained against Blackpool was a ‘real positive draw’. The game was poor and nothing like the thriller against Forest in midweek. Paul Ince does not play as expansive a game as Billy Davies and thereby lies the problem. When they face attacking opponents the Addicks can compete, but when the opposition keep things tight, Powell’s team struggles to break them down.

Charlton are a notoriously low scoring side and coupled with their inability to keep clean sheets on a regular basis, it has made points gathering difficult.

Powell has been blighted by injuries but so have other clubs. When the injuries come along, it is essential that the manager remains upbeat and positive, and does not use them as an excuse. When asked about new recruits, the manager confirmed what he told meon Tuesday, that there were no imminent new arrivals. Powell continued:

“I suppose that’s the only bonus from the international break, that the boys can recover and the injured boys hopefully can make themselves available for the up and coming games.

“Everyone knows that things are very tight for us budget-wise and I’ve had to lean on one or two of those younger players.

“I thought Jordan Cousins was very assured in only his third start for us and we also had young Callum Harriott and Joe Pigott coming off the bench.

“You want these boys to develop and learn slowly but surely but we are having to throw them in. I suppose they are going to have to learn at the sharp end.

“It would be nice for me to add some Championship experience and players with that know how to come in and boost us. At the moment it’s not possible so we will have to get on with what I have and motivate them and cajole them into trying to put in a performance to win us games,” concluded the gaffer.

Powell is a very cautious manager and introducing youngsters into the team has not been his forte. Up until the start of this season, he had only given Callum Harriott a start in the league during his tenure at The Valley.

Players develop at different rates and whilst Joe Pigott is not yet ready for regular first team football, Harriott and particularly Cousins are. Cousins was the club’s best midfielder in pre-season and has carried that form into the league campaign.

The Addicks have seven points from ten games and badly need to string two or three wins together. What Powell will be keen to avoid is slipping into a situation where his team needs to average 1.5 points per game to reach the safety mark, normally 52 points in the Championship.

The professionals get concerned when a team needs to win one game in two to achieve safety. The two week gap will be an important time for Charlton.