Wanderers will be missing Amadou Bakayoko on Saturday but boss Ian Evatt believes the Whites have the goal power to get firing again.
Bakayoko is unavailable for Wanderers’ trip to Fleetwood Town after being called up for a training camp by Sierra Leone.
The frontman is with the Leone Stars’ squad in the United Arab Emirates and will fly back at the start of next week following a friendly against Algeria B on Saturday.
That leaves Wanderers one striking option light for the game at the Highbury Stadium when they will be looking to add to the four points they have collected in their last two away games.
But Jon Dadi Bodvarsson could be involved in some capacity after missing last Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Cambridge United through illness as Evatt weighs up the best permutations to increase his side’s goal output in Bakayoko’s absence.
“We feel it’s an honour to play for your country. We’ve no issues with Baka going with Sierra Leone to play for them. We wish him well, shake his hand and we’ll manage without him this Saturday,” said the Wanderers’ boss.
“In terms of our attacking play and our chance creation, we’re up there near the top of the league.
“We are creating as many good opportunities as most teams in this league. We’re just not taking them.
“There lies the issue. Hopefully the hard work on the training pitch will eventually put it right, players will find form, find confidence and those goals will start to go in.”
Wanderers drew a blank in front of goal for the first time in six games at Cambridge as they slipped outside the top six on goal difference.
But Evatt doesn’t want his frontmen to over-think the issue as they look to spearhead a push back into the play-off places against a Fleetwood side sitting 16th in the table but with just four league defeats to their name this term.
“We have to believe that eventually those chances will start to go in,” he added.
“We’ve looked at some historical data on our strikers and the finishing of chances they get.
“A lot of them are under-achieving from where they’ve been in their careers at the moment. That happens sometimes and you go through these spells.
“But we’ll back them to turn that around and to strive for improvement, to keep practising, with positive messaging, repetition on the training ground – all those things and get them back to scoring goals on a regular basis.
“Once they do, we think we can go on a really good run of form and push our way back up this league again.”
Bodvarsson will be monitored after returning to training today (Thursday) following a bout of illness which has also affected attacking midfielder Kieran Lee, among others.
Ex-Fleetwood midfielder Kyle Dempsey will miss a return to his former club through a one-match ban for his sending-off at Cambridge.
But MJ Williams is available after serving his own one-game suspension at the Abbey Stadium.