Owen Coyle has no sympathy for his Bolton underperfomers, Chris Smalling returns to centre-half for Man United, Steven Gerrard and James McFadden are glad to put their injury nightmares behind them and Ledley King’s groin problem is not as bad as first feared. Here’s some morning Scribbles for you, folks…
With his first start in seven months and a goal against Man United in the bag, Steven Gerrard can now look forward to this weekend’s home game with Norwich. The Liverpool skipper yesterday admitted he’d been pushing himself too hard last season and ultimately paid the price with a long-term groin injury the consequence- having now fully recovered, he expects to be back to his barnstorming best:
Before the operation I’d been getting niggles and having injections to play. I knew I wasn’t right. I was trying to put my body on the line. But it wasn’t the real me and I wasn’t the player I want to be. I was missing training sessions and coming in the day before a game trying to get that last session in, or having injections to play the next day. You can only do that for a certain amount of time before your body gives in, and my groin packed in on me. When it happened I was down and it took time before I got back in to a positive frame of mind. Without a doubt the last six months have been the hardest of my career.
In other Liverpool-related news, Glen Johnson came through a friendly game against Rangers unscathed last night. The right-back was given a sixty-six minute run out by Kenny Dalglish in the 1-0 loss and is now looking to push Martin Kelly all the way for a spot in the starting XI against Norwich. The Ibrox game also saw the Reds lose back-up keeper Alexander Doni to a dislocated finger against the Scottish league leaders.
James McFadden celebrated his return to Everton last night by turning out for the Toffees reserves. The Scot was given a forty-five minute run-out in a win over Sunderland reserves and was more than a little relieved to get some game time under his belt after confessing his surgeon had even told him to consider giving the game up, after continued setbacks with a cruciate knee injury:
I was training in March and then broke down again and when I spoke to the surgeon he said my time might be up. That was hard to take. It was hard that I didn’t know when I was going to get back playing. I think you have to take every day as it comes. I am coming here to get fit, get playing and try to enjoy my football and hopefully secure a longer-term contract. It is up to me to grab the chance and to show a bit of faith in the manager and show the fans I am good enough to play for Everton again.
Swansea’s Stephen Dobbie is set to miss out this weekend due to an ankle problem. Dobbie sustained the injury in last week’s defeat at Norwich and Brendan Rodgers admitted yesterday the Scot could be sidelined for a couple of weeks, raising doubts against his availability for the Gameweek ten clash with Bolton.
Alex McLeish has received an injury boost ahead of this weekend’s derby with West Brom. James Collins starting some light training yesterday and is expected to step up his recovery from a groin problem by returning to full training on Thursday. Collins was an ever-present in the Villa side up until last weekend, missing out in the 4-1 loss at Man City. On-loan midfielder Jermaine Jenas is also making good progress from an Achilles injury and is thought to be three or four games away from full fitness, according to the Villa boss.
Harry Redknapp was also the recipient of some positive injury news yesterday. The groin injury that forced Ledley King off in Sunday’s draw at Newcastle has been diagnosed as less serious than initially feared and reports suggest the centre-half may even have a chance of returning for the Gameweek eleven clash with Fulham.
Man United’s Champions League win in Romania last night saw Chris Smalling make a return to centre-half. It’s only the second time this season Smalling has started there, with the majority of his appearances coming at right-back. Post-match, the former Fulham man admitted it’s where he prefers to play:
It was nice to be back in central defence. That is my favourite position and I want to play as many games as I can there. But if I can contribute in any way, I will just give of my best.
Owen Coyle rang the changes in Bolton’s weekend win at Wigan and the replacements done him proud, halting the Trotters six-game losing streak. The likes of Gretar Steinsson and Fabrice Muamba were left out of the squad completely and Zat Knight managed only a place on the bench, as David Wheater slotted in alongside Gary Cahill at centre-half. Coyle told the Bolton Evening News that the players he omitted only have themselves to blame:
I don’t put them out of the team; their performances put them out of the team. If they don’t get to the standard, I have got to recognise there is someone else waiting in the wings. There weren’t enough players playing to the top of their ability to say: ‘I am in charge of that jersey’. It’s not easy leaving players out of the 18, never mind the 11. What I have said is when you get the jersey; it’s up to you to put in a performance to keep it.
Kevin Foley is expected to be out for a month after an operation on his problematic ankle yesterday. Mick McCarthy, speaking to the Wolves official website, also indicated Steven Fletcher is likely to be sidelined for two to four weeks with the calf problem that saw him miss the weekend defeat at West Brom.
