Healing Up

ARGYLE’S recent bout of injuries is showing signs of abating, according to manager John Sheridan.

Although captain Curtis Nelson and Dominic Blizzard will not feature against Dagenham & Redbridge at Home Park on Saturday, news is more positive for Carl McHugh, Marvin Morgan and Nathan Thomas.

McHugh, a regular feature in John Sheridan’s side prior to a calf strain, has missed the last three games, while Morgan and Thomas have also been unavailable for several weeks.

All have trained this week, while Nelson and Blizzard have sat out, having suffered elbow and calf injuries respectively against Northampton town last week.

“Carl’s trained this week, said John, “as well as all last week. He looked okay.

“Dom’s got a similar injury to Carl, but he’s getting better quickly and feeling better every day. The first diagnosis was probably three weeks, but I think it’ll be shorter.

“He’s been a regular in my side, and hopefully he’s not out too long and that he’s back soon.

“He’s getting more game time, and he has been getting fitter game by game.

“Marvin’s trained today, Nathan’s trained today. Whether it’s too early for them to come back or not for a game, as they’re short on match time; they’ve only trained one or two days this week.”

Last week John Sheridan learnt that his strike force had suffered another blow, as Deane Smalley’s season came to an abrupt end, following a serious knee injury.

Deane will undergo surgery to repair the injury, and his manager gave us an update on his timetable.

“The surgery will be in the week of Christmas,” said Sheridan.

“He’s getting it done back home. He’ll have the operation, and then a week or 10 days at home, then he’ll be back to start his rehab.”

Nelson’s injury – where he dislocated his left elbow in the closing stages at Sixfields – was feared at first to be of a serious nature, but time, as well as rest, has proven a great healer.

Despite an initial three-to-four week prognosis, the manager thinks his captain could be back sooner than first expected.

“I don’t think he’ll be out for three or four weeks,” said John. “Curtis is a lad who likes playing, and we got to respect he’s had a bad injury, but luckily for us, it hasn’t come out as bad as we first thought.

“He was out running this morning, and he’s getting better day by day, but that’s only me talking, and it’s down to the medical people, so we got to make sure if and when he does come back, he doesn’t get any reaction from the injury.

“If I’m looking at him now and the way things are going, then he’ll be back for Boxing Day. He’s been one of my most consistent players and he’s my captain.”