Glenn Roeder waited until the last minute to make a decision on whether he would return to the fray, and says: "Fredi was touch and go for Saturday but it just wasn't worth taking the gamble in the end. He has been out for two months and we couldn't risk him breaking down.
"He had only had two days of football, Thursday and Friday, training really well, and I was very tempted to play him, but I had to do what I felt was right and I am not regretting that decision.
"He will play in the reserves on Tuesday night, hopefully he will come through that with no problems, and that sets him up for the home game with Southampton."
"Steve Lomas will be back as well, but there is no one else."
Indeed, Steve's return to action against the Saints is a timely one, with Edouard Cisse suspended, but Don Hutchison, who played 90 minutes for the reserves last week, is still a way away from returning to first team action.
Glenn admits that "it is a long week ahead" and adds: "It was an unbelievably frustrating game on Saturday because the problems were at both ends of the field.
"There were poor goals and we have created more chances, away from home, than we have in any other game this year.
"We have got to be clinical and when you get one against ones you have got to finish - you have got to score.
"But the defending was poor. We should have got tackles in when Hendrie got through for the first goal, Vassell waltzed his way through for the second goal, and David has put his hands up for the third goal with the cross coming into the box.
"You are always back-pedalling when you let in goals like that and when you fail to convert good chances down the other end it is double trouble."