Jack Bycroft and Aaron Drinan were both surprise absentees from the Swindon Town line-up as they beat Cheltenham Town 3-2 on Saturday.

At 2 pm on Saturday, there was a surprise on the team sheet as Bycroft was not included in the matchday 18, with Redman Evans taking his spot on the bench.

The former Southampton goalkeeper had started Swindon’s first eight league games of the season but has since been supplanted by Dan Barden, who has conceded three goals in his four matches across all competitions since coming into the side at Tranmere Rovers.

Mark Kennedy had been effusive in his praise of Bycroft before the match, saying that his standards in training had gone through the roof from an already high level since Port Vale.

Speaking after the game, the head coach confirmed that Bycroft’s exclusion from the squad was down to illness.

He said: “Jack is unfortunately ill. He has trained all week and has actually trained really well, when I say actually I mean from the perspective that it is ironic he is not here with how well he has done, he has been a real standout performer this week.

“We got a late call on Friday morning saying that he was ill, we tried to give him as long as we could and fair play to him, he was so desperate to be involved and wanted until this morning but he just wasn’t able to do it.”

The other surprise absentee was Drinan after he had started Town’s last three matches in League Two.

The Irishman is yet to score his first goal of the campaign but with injuries to Kabongo Tshimanga and Harry Smith, combined with his improving displays, he had been expected to start the game.

However, a knock picked up recently meant that he was in too much pain to take part at The EV Charging Points Stadium, with Danny Butterworth and then Botan Ameen taking his place.

Kennedy said: “Aaron Drinan got a kick against Harrogate, it was either against Harrogate or against Carlisle but if it was against Carlisle then it was troubling him against Harrogate.

“The 90 minutes has had a big impact on him but the good news with him is that because it is an impact injury, it is just how much you can withstand that pain.

“He is in a lot of pain, testament to him, he tried to train on Thursday and Friday but it wasn’t to be.”