Charlton Athletic: Surprise package could fill Alfie May's boots v Wigan Athletic - View | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic forward Tyreece Campbell will be in contention to start on the opening day of the season this weekend.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones will have a decision to make on who to start up front for the Addicks' visit to Wigan Athletic on the opening day of the League One season this Saturday.

The 51-year-old has set up with two strikers throughout pre-season, and as it stands, Matty Godden, Gassan Ahadme, Daniel Kanu, Chuks Aneke and Tyreece Campbell are the players who could start at the weekend, with Miles Leaburn yet to recover from an injury he suffered last season.

All the Addicks' strikers, apart from Godden, have got on the scoresheet during pre-season. Tyreece Campbell has netted four goals in Charlton's friendlies, including a left-footed effort against Portsmouth at The Valley in their most recent fixture, in which he also provided an assist for Ahadme to seal a 2-0 victory.

Campbell has usually been deployed out wide during his Charlton career, but Jones' system features wing-backs rather than out-and-out wingers, so the youngster has been playing as a striker in recent weeks.

The Welsh manager helped Harry Cornick convert from being a winger to a striker during his time at Luton Town, and he will hope that Campbell can have similar success in switching roles.

Tyreece Campbell is in contention to start against Wigan

Campbell signed a new contract in May, keeping him at The Valley until at least 2026, showing that Jones has faith in his potential. His pace and ability to go past defenders have made him a useful option for the Addicks since he broke into the first-team in 2022.

Jones explained after Charlton's friendly against Dartford earlier this summer that he believes Campbell has not been used in his best position so far during his short career.

He said: "if you look at TC (Tyreece Campbell) today up top. No one has really played him up top but that's where we believe he's at his best."

Campbell's performances since then have suggested that Jones is right, and he may have done enough to earn a start on the opening day of the new season against Wigan on Saturday.

He ranked seventh in League One for the most successful dribbles per 90 (FotMob) minutes during the 2023/24 campaign, while his stats were similar to the likes of Portsmouth striker Colby Bishop and Bolton Wanderers forward Aaron Collins when it came to shots taken per 90 minutes in the third tier.

His physical attributes, directness, and eye for goal all make him the right profile of player to succeed in Jones' system.

Charlton have plenty of options up front

Charlton sold last season's League One Golden Boot winner Alfie May to Birmingham City earlier on in the summer transfer window. The prolific striker scored twice in the Addicks' 3-2 win over Wigan at The Brick Community Stadium last season, so they will need someone else to provide the goals if they are going to take three points again this time around.

Godden and Ahadme have been brought in to replace May, while Kanu, Aneke, Campbell and Leaburn give Jones more than enough other options for the 2024/25 campaign.

It will be interesting to see who is given the nod when the first starting lineup of the season is announced an hour before 5:30pm on Saturday.

There is every chance that Campbell's name is on the teamsheet, considering his excellent form during pre-season, and he will hope that he can fill the gap left by May's departure.