'Not really sure why he hasn't' - Patrick Bauer decision against Sunderland explained by Mike Marsh
PNE man was included in Tuesday night's squad against Sunderland
Interim Preston North End boss Mike Marsh felt Patrick Bauer deserved to come back into the Lilywhites squad on Tuesday.
The German has been on the fringes of the PNE squad for the last two seasons, with just seven league appearances made. This summer, an extra year was surprisingly triggered in Bauer’s contract.
But, ex-PNE boss Ryan Lowe - who left on Monday - made it clear the 31-year-old was down the pecking order and also available for transfer. Bauer was then not given a squad number. However, Marsh opted to bring him back on to the bench against Sunderland in midweek.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision with Patrick,” Marsh told the Lancashire Post. “I am not really sure why he hasn’t been involved previously. Obviously, you would have to ask Patrick and Ryan. But, we have been going with kids on the bench - Theo (Mawene), Noah (Mawene) and Josh Seary at times.
“We have got an experienced professional on the bench there, who can add a little bit when we need it. I spoke to Patrick and said I was more than happy to bring him back into the training group, and that he’d be involved in the match day squad going forward. Whether he gets minutes is now up to Patrick.”
Bauer signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2019, following four seasons at Charlton Athletic. He became a regular in the team under former manager Alex Neil, then suffered a serious Achilles injury in December 2020 - away at Bournemouth. He has made 103 appearances for the Lilywhites and scored seven goals.