Duckworth Almost Back

Michael Duckworth could soon be back in the Hartlepool first team after Coops confirmed to sportmail that the defender has now returned to training after surgery to repair his hernia problem.

Actually it was a double hernia he needed surgery on wasn’t it.

Duckworth’s return to training means we’ve got another defensive option on its way back, and this will be another positive for us whenever he does come back into the first team but for this to be at the weekend in our League 2 game with Newport might be too soon.

‘Michael is back on the move.

‘We will be introducing him back into training at some point this week but whether it is too soon for the weekend we will just have to see how Michael is.

‘He trained with the youth team over the weekend when we left for Dagenham, and we’ll have to see where he is.

‘Whether this weekend comes a few days too early, we will see, but he is not far away, which is good. His return will be a boost.’

Jordan Richards came in at right back to replace the injured Neil Austin and as good as Duckworth is he shouldn’t be able to instantly come back into the side really should he?

Richards might have come in for Austin but with another cleansheet kept in the weekend win Coops wouldn’t be too likely to change a winning defence would he so even if Duckworth is fit to return he’ll be on the substitutes bench at best I’d think.