Oran Kearney will welcome Jamie Glackin back from a three-match suspension after Tuesday night's North West Cup final against Ballinamallard United.
Having missed Saturday's penalty shootout defeat to Cliftonville in the Irish Cup, Glackin's return is a huge boost for the Bannsiders with Glentoran visiting The Showgrounds this weekend.
Kearney saw similarities in the defeat at Solitude to the League Cup final loss to the Reds last season.
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Coleraine lost both Glackin and Conor McKendry, who also missed out on Saturday due to injury, before the end at Windsor Park as they were hanging on to the lead and Kearney felt it had a huge impact on them losing the final.
Now while the Bannsiders boss did not feel they were hanging on to their 2-1 advantage this time around he would have loved to have had one of his star men on the pitch to gain yards for his side.
“We lost those ball carriers in the League Cup final last year as Conor was only back from injury and could play 60 minutes, with Glackin having to go off injured after a tackle," said Kearney.
“When you get the ball up the pitch and it breaks, the second ball is usually picked up by those two who get you moving and allow that pressure not to happen.
“It really hurt us in that final but it didn’t on Saturday.
“If we had one of those two available on Saturday in the last ten minutes instead of someone hooking it on, they dribble as there’s loads of space as there’s so many players ahead of the ball and you can get down into a corner.
“We weren’t under that pressure apart from the final 30 seconds before the equaliser came.
“There were a couple of phases where we didn't win the second ball and hook it on, which ultimately cost us.
“We are not down to the bare bones but we were missing two or three big players for us.
“I think if you have those players available then the game doesn’t go the distance because you don’t see that onslaught at the end where they get their goal as we could negate that.
“We got penned in for a minute or two and it cost us."
The Bannsiders are expected to field an understrength side against the Mallards at The Showgrounds (8pm) with the majority of their Under-20s featuring.
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