Lee Bowyer’s injury ravaged side take on promotion favourites Sunderland at The Valley on Saturday.

‎The Addicks will have to carry on for a while longer before they can welcome back many of their missing stars.

George Lapalie should be fit to resume at Shrewsbury next week, but then Josh Cullen at the end of the month is the next player likely to return.

Bowyer gave an update at his press conference on Thursday:

“I’ll find out more this morning but it’s not looking good for him (Ben Reeves). We know it’s a hamstring injury but we don’t know the extent and how bad it is. I’ll know more in 10-15 minutes when I go and see the physio department.

“Hopefully if he’s out it won’t be too long and he won’t be the six weekers we’ve had.

“I think the nearest person we’ve got coming back (of the long-term injuries) is maybe Josh Cullen who might be the end of the month.

“The rest of them are long term. I think Josh is the closest one apart from George Lapslie, he won’t be ok for Saturday but maybe the game after with his concussion.”

‎Charlton will be looking for a sixth consecutive home win on Saturday, but it will be a tough ask as Bowyer explained:

“It’s going to be tough but that stat just shows how well we do at home. We’re a very good side at home, we have good support at home.

“The place is becoming a bit of a fortress. It’s a tough place to come and play with the combination of the fans and the players, it’s good. We definitely look forward to home games.

“Sunderland will be a different test and we’ll respect them like we do every other team. If we do things right and we do what we’re good at then I think we’ve got a very good chance.”

Sunderland always take massive support to away games, and the Jimmy Seed end will be packed with a sell-out crowd on Saturday, something Bowyer relishes:

“When you play football that’s what you want, you want a good atmosphere. Players are entertainers, that’s what you are and the bigger the crowd, the more noise, the more they get out of players.

“Sunderland have 30,000 odd at home and they take a lot away. They’ll bring a good crowd but we have a good crowd as well, so it will be competition on guessing who will be singing the loudest and it will be a competition on the pitch and who wins their individual battles and wins the game at the end.”

Bowyer will be boosted by the return of Chris Solly, and the manager is also hoping to have two match ready new faces available for the game.

One is Crystal Palace midfielder, Jonny Williams. The Addicks may line up like this:

Phillips; Dijksteel, Bauer, Sarr, Solly; Bielik, Pratley, Williams, Fosu; Taylor, Grant.

Subs: Maynard-Brewer, Stevenson, Morgan, Marshall, Clarke,  Hackett-Fairchild, Ajose.

‎The referee will be Stephen Martin.

Most fans would settle for taking a point from the game, but Bowyer’s side are often at their best when the odds are stacked against them.