Sometimes when you are frustrated with a task or lack of progress then a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference, and football is no different.
A manager might bring in a new coach or seek the advice of a mentor if things aren’t going their way but for fans, it can be a little bit harder to remove emotion from a situation and look at things objectively.
When Kemar Roofe broke down after playing just 26 minutes on his comeback from injury, it was no surprise to see many – including myself – for the club to consider his contract and whether or not we would be better off going our separate ways, however, speaking to Football Insider, injury specialist Ben Dinnery has added fresh perspective to the striker’s plight:
“I wouldn’t say it’s alarming, it’s more frustrating in terms of where the player wants to be.
“We know the associated risk of players returning from long-term injury, regardless of the work you are putting in on the training pitch. Nothing quite prepares the body for the rigours of competitive first-team football. That’s why you see players suffer minor setbacks and niggles because you need to adapt and integrate.
“This latest setback puts a pause on him being involved but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a minor issue.
“Unfortunately it’s one that he will be used to. You need to be in a really strong mindset to get you through that.
“You just focus on hitting those milestones in recovery and getting back in the team.
“It’s very frustrating, very disappointed but not totally unexpected.”
It might just be a “minor setback” but the problem is, how many times has he missed games because of the same complaint with his calf?
Roofe’s 100% fitness isn’t the same as player who doesn’t have his history, every time he comes back we are just waiting for him to break down again, even if he did tell fans this year that he felt fit – and pain-free – and looking forward to returning to action.
There’s no doubt that he would be an asset if we can get him back into the match day squad again and, when he is fit, the manager will include him. It’s just that we can never rely on him or make plans for him to be involved.
The World Cup coming halfway through the season gives Roofe and the rest of our injured players a chance to get themselves into decent shape so that they can contribute to the rest of the campaign, if he can’t the calls to see his time at thee club come to an end will only get louder.