Chesterfield and Paul Cook will be praying for John Fleck respite given Tom Naylor situation | OneFootball

With Tom Naylor in defence, Paul Cook hoped to turn to John Fleck to solidify Chesterfield’s midfield, but his fitness issues remain a problem.

Eyebrows were raised when former Premier League midfielder John Fleck joined Paul Cook’s squad this summer, with the Sheffield United legend expected to play a big role in a potential promotion push this campaign.

Instead, Fleck had been forced to watch from the sidelines and his first Chesterfield start, which came against Grimsby Town in the EFL Trophy, ended in disaster, as he was forced off the pitch after just 21 minutes.

Questions have been raised about the solidity of Cook's midfield following back-to-back defeats to Accrington Stanley and Harrogate Town, and with Tom Naylor currently playing centre-back, the Spireites are crying out for an experienced body in the middle of the park.

The Fleck gamble is yet to pay off at Chesterfield.

On paper, the signing of a 33-year-old with 65 Premier League appearances to his name looked like one of the coups of the window, but Fleck’s recent injury history potentially should have raised a few more eyebrows upon his arrival.

After being a permanent fixture in the Sheffield United midfield for nearly a decade, Fleck fractured his leg for a second time in a pre-season friendly in August 2023 and didn’t make his first league appearance last season until October, a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal.

The Scottish international was taken off at halftime in his only Premier League start, a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Burnley and, in total, the midfielder played just 89 minutes of league action across four games, all of which ended in defeat.

In January this year, Fleck joined Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers but, unfortunately, injuries would plague the former Rangers man once again.

Fleck would play just 17 minutes of football for the North West club, as he was forced off against local rivals Preston North End in February.

The three-time Scottish Premiership champion underwent surgery to replace a metal plate in his shin which had been causing the midfielder issues and in September, he joined Chesterfield on a one-year deal.

After a torrid run of injuries, Fleck was given time to get match fit by Cook, but as the weeks and months went by, there was still no sign of the midfielder in the squad, except from a 1-1 draw against Cheltenham Town in September, where Fleck was an unused substitute.

He eventually made his first appearance for the club against Horsham in the FA Cup, where the midfielder came off the bench in the latter stages of a 3-1 win and looked tidy and composed on the ball against lower-league opposition.

Fleck’s eagerly anticipated first start came 10 days later against Grimsby in the group stages of the EFL Trophy, but much like his first Blackburn start, it ended prematurely, with Fleck being forced off after just 21 minutes with a hamstring problem.

Chesterfield’s assistant manager Danny Webb has revealed the club hope Fleck will make his return "sooner rather than later", especially as fellow midfielder Jensen Metcalfe has been ruled out until 2025.

Elsewhere, veteran midfielder Mike Jones continues to battle an Achilles issue, leaving Darren Oldaker, who is on the verge of suspension, and Ollie Banks as Town's only fit midfielders, with Naylor taking up a new role in defence this campaign.

Fingers have been pointed at Town’s midfield at times this season, with teams having success hitting the Spireites centrally and on the counter-attack, while at times lacking the creativity to break teams down who sit in a low block.

When fit, it is hoped that Fleck can add some balance and experience to the Chesterfield team, which striker Will Grigg claims was "bullied" against Harrogate Town, but while the former Blade remains on the sidelines, fans are calling for a simpler solution to solve Town’s midfield woes.

Supporters are crying out for Naylor to return to a midfield role.

Former Wigan and Portsmouth man Naylor, who was voted Town’s Player of the Year last season, has featured heavily at centre-back this campaign, and following back-to-back defeats in the league, supporters are touting Naylor as the man to solve Town’s midfield woes.

The 33-year-old enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career last season as he netted 11 goals and contributed six assists from holding midfield as Town stormed to the National League title, with his switch to centre-back coming as a surprise to supporters.

Naylor has started 15 of 16 League Two games, only missing out against Newport County due to suspension, captaining the side on 11 occasions.

Even playing at centre-back, only four men have provided more assists in League Two than Naylor’s four, making fans question why such a talented passer of the ball and dictator of play isn’t utilised higher up the pitch.

The former League One winner struck up a solid partnership with new signing Chey Dunkley in the early stages of the season, with the former Shrewsbury man’s aerial ability and leadership qualities complementing Naylor’s impressive on-the-ball ability.

However, Dunkley picked up a neck injury in early October and while he has been seen in training, he is yet to receive the all-clear from medical consultants.

That injury has seen Naylor partner the likes of club captain Jamie Grimes and Fulham loanee Harvey Araujo in recent weeks, but having conceded seven goals in their last three league games, all against bottom-half teams, moving Naylor forward into a more familiar role could go a long way to solidifying the midfield.

When the signing of Fleck was announced, the proposition of the Scotsman partnering Naylor in midfield was a dream for many Town fans, but with Fleck’s unfortunate injury record and Naylor’s new centre-back role, the partnership has failed to materialise.

With Oldaker and Banks the only two fully-fit central midfielders at the club, supporters are hoping that last season’s Player of the Year or their new big-name signing can make a speedy return to the Spireites’ engine room.