Lee Grant told to take Will Alves action for Huddersfield Town - 'scapegoat' Ruben Roosken could be dropped | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town have been advised to make a change ahead of this weekend's fixture

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Huddersfield Town have enjoyed a positive start to their 2025/26 campaign.

The Terriers impressed during the transfer window with their ambitious attitude towards recruitment, welcoming 14 new faces to the Accu Stadium alongside appointing Lee Grant as manager.

Included within these signings were Alfie May, Ryan Ledson and Lynden Gooch, who all possess enough quality to operate out of the Championship. Taken together with a number of other solid deals, Huddersfield entered the season as one of the favourites to challenge for promotion.

The opening rounds of the campaign have shown that they are certainly in the mix, with Grant’s side sitting just two points behind league leaders Cardiff City after eight games.

Huddersfield have proven their ability to score freely, with no side netting more than their total of 15 times at this stage of the season. However, that has come at a cost.

The Terriers have looked vulnerable in defensive areas, with only six sides conceding more goals than them, which has seen them already lose three league games.

After coming out second best against Bradford City in their last encounter, Grant could look to shake things up in his starting 11.

Will Alves joined Huddersfield on loan from Leicester City in the summer and is yet to make a start for his new club. The 20-year-old has shown promise when introduced off the bench, grabbing an important equaliser in the Terriers’ 3-2 win over Peterborough United.

Football League World’s Huddersfield Town fan pundit, Graeme Rayner, believes that the young forward has done enough to earn a prominent role in Grant’s team.

Lee Grant called to hand Will Alves his first Huddersfield Town start

“I think Alves should start,” stated Graeme. “I think that he's looked dangerous and lively when he has come on.

“He's made a difference from the bench, and I think that persisting with Ruben Roosken out wide on the left is not wise, partly because he's not as effective as we need him to be, but also because he's becoming a bit of a scapegoat.

“We should definitely give a start to Alves. I also think that it's time for Lee Grant to start with his strongest side and there seems to be a pattern of having a strong bench and having people on the bench who you think can change a game, make an impact, when they may well make a more significant impact if they start.

“I'd like to see us start with our strongest XI for a run of games and try and find a settled side.”

Lee Grant will have to utilise his squad to fight for promotion

Grant is still figuring out what his perfect Huddersfield Town squad looks like, which is perfectly acceptable, given the fact that the season is still in its opening stages.

However, the 42-year-old must learn to rotate players evenly to ensure he is getting every drop of quality out of his squad.

Talented, young operators such as Alves will be raring to go off the bench but could also cause teams problems from the first whistle, which would provide other members of the team with a much-needed rest.

Whilst he still isn’t set in his preferred starting 11, Grant should use this time to experiment with different combinations, which includes rotating those who aren’t currently in a strong vein of form, such as Roosken.