Port Vale v Chesterfield: Tom Naylor development could follow Jamie Grimes return - View | OneFootball

Tom Naylor has impressed at the heart of the Chesterfield's back line this season, but Jamie Grimes' return could push the 33-year-old into midfield.

Suspension to new signing Chey Dunkley allowed Chesterfield captain Jamie Grimes to pick up his first minutes of League Two football and his impressive display in the Spireites’ 2-1 win over Grimsby could have implications for Tom Naylor.

Grimes made 43 appearances last campaign, all as captain, as Chesterfield stormed to the National League title but a pre-season injury meant he was unavailable at the beginning of the campaign, which allowed Naylor and Dunkley to create a settled partnership in defence.

The duo of Dunkley and Naylor started well, conceding just three goals in their first four games as a pair, a marked improvement from Chesterfield’s back four from last campaign, who conceded 65 goals.

After being a mainstay in Chesterfield’s back line for the past three years, the captain picked up his first minutes of the season in the EFL Cup defeat to Derby as a substitute, before playing 90 minutes in EFL Trophy victories against Manchester City u21s and Lincoln, where he played out-of-position at left back.

Dunkley was sent off in the latter stages of their 1-0 defeat away at Gillingham, a decision that officials later said they got wrong, and Grimes had the chance to make his first League Two appearance since featuring for Macclesfield in 2019 against Grimsby.

Grimes put in an excellent performance in his first league start for nearly five months as he completed six clearances, as the Spireites dug in with 10 men for their first home win of the season.

With one of the club’s marquee summer signings, Dunkley, back available for Saturday’s trip to Port Vale, Paul Cook has a decision to make, having to pick two of last year’s Player of the Season, the club captain and the big name signing.

Or will Cook push Naylor forward into a more familiar position?

Versatile Tom Naylor has more to offer in a midfield role.

Naylor featured 47 times in Chesterfield’s historic title-winning season last campaign and scored 12 goals across all competitions, only behind Will Grigg in the scoring charts from a holding midfield position.

On top of that, only Liam Mandeville and Armando Dobra provided more assists than Naylor’s six, so pushing Naylor back into midfield could give Chesterfield another string to their bow going forward.

The duo of Ollie Banks and Darren Oldaker have started together in all five of Chesterfield’s League Two outings and while the Spireites have bossed possession, with an average of 61.6%, ranking third in the league, neither player has registered a goal or an assist.

Despite playing well in all five matches, Chesterfield might be disappointed to sit ninth after Cook’s men squandered big chances in draws against Swindon and Salford, as well as in defeat to Gillingham.

Naylor was pushed into midfield in the latter stages against Gillingham and missed a golden chance to equalise, hitting the crossbar from the edge of the box with the goalkeeper seemingly in no man’s land.

Although the chance didn’t find the back of the net, Naylor has a knack for finding himself in the right place at the right time, one of the reasons he managed double figures in all competitions last season.

Former Dorking man Oldaker will miss the Spireites’ away trip to Port Vale, who ran out 4–1 winners over nine-man Newport on Saturday.

With Dunkley and Grimes now both available, it would make sense to push Naylor further forward into Oldaker’s vacant role, where his eye for a goal and ability to control a game, could help the Spireites add a goal threat from midfield.

The signing of John Fleck provides further competition for places in the Spireites' midfield.

Chesterfield have recently completed the signing of Sheffield United legend John Fleck, who adds Premier League experience to the Spireites’ midfield options.

The 33-year-old started the beginning of last season as a Premier League footballer with the Blades and made four top-flight appearances before joining Blackburn Rovers, where a shin injury curtailed his season, making just one Championship appearance before his release.

The former Scottish international has spent the last week training with the North Derbyshire outfit and, having played just over 100 minutes of football last season, will likely not be rushed straight into the starting XI.

A player with technical ability well above League Two level, only time will tell whether the once all-action box-to-box midfielder still has the legs after effectively a year without playing.

But it’s worth noting that almost every Cook signing since his Chesterfield return has been a success, and Spireites won’t want that record to come to an end any time soon.

Another new signing, Jenson Metcalfe, will also be hoping for his first start after Oldaker’s suspension, after impressing in limited minutes since he joined on a season-long loan from Everton.

Despite playing just 29 minutes of League Two action, Jenson Metcalfe impressed with his tidy dribbling, quality first touch, and solid passing as he helped the Spireites over the line against Gillingham.

The Everton loanee has already proven his ability to retain possession, which makes him a good fit in Cook’s system and, following two good performances, he could deserve a start in the middle of the park.

Chesterfield ranks.