Last seasons leading goalscorer Chris Killen has not figured in either of the last two first team games and manager Ronnie Moore has said that the striker must prove himself and battle his way back into Moore's plans. Killen has dropped to sixth position in the pecking order of strikers at Boundary Park behind Andy Liddell, Chris Porter, Paul Warne, Luke Beckett and Chris Hall.Moore said, “Chris is fit and available, but I’ve decided not to involve him in the last couple of games. I want to see how hungry he is. There’s a lot of competition up front, so it’s up to him to prove he wants to play. We’ve had a chat and he knows the situation. You’ve got to take it on the chin when you aren’t in the side. The opportunity is there for him to get back in, score a few goals and prove I made a mistake. I’ve always said Chris would score goals if he got the right service, and that hasn’t changed, but I’m giving other lads a chance. Things alter quickly in football so he might come back with a hat-trick next week, but he has a battle on his hands to win that place.”
After scoring two goals in eight starts, Killen got dropped for the game at Swansea and then youngster Chris Hall got the nod for the LDV Vans Trophy against Carlisle. It is the final season of Killen's reported big contract.