IAN Evatt insists Wanderers’ early-season formation switch is not a backward step.

After playing the vast majority of the summer and his first three competitive games with a back three, the Whites head coach has opted for a different shape in the previous two games against Colchester United and Newport County.

The change, which included a back four and the use of wide attacking players, prompted concern among supporters that months of position-specific recruitment had been wasted.

Evatt has played down its importance, however, and as he takes his side to the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster this weekend to face Harrogate Town looking for a first win, he is confident his players will adapt quickly.

“People can make what they want out of a system change, it’s the philosophy that stays the same,” he said. “We’ve recruited to a philosophy and not a system. That’s the difference and there is a difference.

“Every team that wants to challenge and every team that wants to be good and improve they have to have different strings to their bow.

“We’ve got 3-5-2, we’ve got 4-3-3, we can adapt and overcome to any situation.

“Obviously horses for courses, opposition specific, we can line up based on that, but while the system might change the philosophy stays the same.”

Evatt has also confirmed that youngsters Callum King-Harmes and George Thomason will soon return to the training ground, having self-isolated over the last 10 days.

Positive Covid-19 tests at their loan club, Bamber Bridge, forced the pair to stay at home for a fortnight to avoid any risk of spreading the virus. But after showing no signs of illness Evatt expects both to re-join the group quickly and be available for the restart of Brig’s campaign in the Northern Premier League.

“They’re asymptomatic and absolutely fine,” he said of the pair.

“The risk is probably minimal even though you’re in the same dressing room. To catch it the proximity you have to be in for any length of time is quite close and challenging for them to get so I would think they’d be fine, but you have to obey Government guidelines and EFL protocol.

“Once their incubation period is over and they’ve self-isolated and they haven’t had any symptoms then once the two-week period is over they’ll be returning to training.”