STEVE CANAVAN previews the big derby game against Oldham Athletic TOP scorer Ady Littlejohn could be back from his sick bed to lead the attack against his old club in tomorrow's crunch derby against Oldham.

Littlejohn, on target four times this season, recovered from flu and a troublesome achilles injury to score for the reserves in Wednesday's 5-0 drubbing of Scarborough.

But neither he nor anyone else is certain of a place tomorrow in what must be Andy Preece's toughest selection choice of the year.

A virtual first team played for the reserves in midweek and now the boss must decide whether to stick with youth or return to the old guard.

The chances are that there will be a compromise with Jason Jarrett and Chris Armstrong strong favourites to start.

Littlejohn, Paul Reid and Steve Redmond are especially keen to play because they all joined Bury from Oldham, following in former manager Neil Warnock's footsteps.

But Preece has no easy choices.

"I've got about two or three teams in my mind, it's very difficult," admitted the Bury boss. "If I have to leave anyone out I expect them to accept it and get on with things. I've left players like Sam Collins, Paul Reid and Paul Barnes out this season and they've taken it in the right way.

"If anyone was left out tomorrow I don't think they could complain, given the fact that we'd gone 10 games without a win before last week."

A win for Oldham tomorrow would take them above the Shakers -- an astonishing fact considering that, in the second week of October, Bury were second top and Oldham were second bottom.

While Bury have nosedived since then, Oldham have suffered just two defeats in 10 outings and boss Andy Ritchie is in confident mood ahead of tomorrow's showdown.