Exeter City striker John O'Flynn is confident he will be fit for Saturday's League Two trip to Northampton Town, after returning to training this week.
The 31-year-old Irishman missed the Johnstone's Paint Trophy defeat to Wycombe and last week's League Two draw at Dagenham & Redbridge, after limping out of the 2-1 win against York City a fortnight ago with a hamstring pull.
Thankfully, the injury was not too serious and, after a brief spell on the sidelines, O'Flynn was back in training yesterday and looking to make up for lost time.
"I warmed-up with the lads today and did half a session. Andy [Proctor, club physiotherapist] said to me to drop out and save myself until tomorrow, so hopefully I will be fit enough to travel and maybe make the bench," he said.
"It feels good. I have done a lot of work all week with Andy so hopefully that will pay off and everything will go all right tomorrow.
"It was a soft way to get injured as well, really, because I reached in and lunged past their player to try and keep the ball in. But I felt it straight away and Andy said it was a weird position to be in, which is why the hamstring went, so I think I'll be leaving those balls from now on!
"I didn't know if it was just a bit of cramp at first, but I tried a little sprint and I knew straight away that I had done something. I think we got it at a good time, I've been out for nearly two weeks, so it's not too bad. You have to be careful with hamstrings, though."
The frustration for City and O'Flynn is that the injury came at a time when his partnership with Sam Parkin had begun to blossom. The only way for it to keep improving is by playing together, so the two could be reunited for tomorrow's clash at Sixfields.
That said, Alan Gow scored within seconds of replacing O'Flynn against York as well as grabbing the winner late in the game. The good news is that manager Paul Tisdale has three strikers fit and available and each has two goals to their name so far this season.
"Sam is a good player and Alan is probably testament to that," O'Flynn added. "He came on for me and scored with his first touch and has done well after waiting in the wings, so there are three or four good strikers there ready to do a job. But Parky is a good player to play with.
"Players tend to gravitate to him because he's the bigger lad, so the onus is on them to get close to him and that leaves a bit more space and gives me a bit more of a chance.
"But he's not just a big lump, he can play with the ball as well. In previous seasons, I have always scored most of my goals playing off a big man. I played with Paul Furlong at Barnet, so I do like the big man-little man partnership."
With O'Flynn, Parkin and Gow all on two goals for the season so far, you would think the competition is hotting up as to who will end the season as top scorer. However, that is not the case, according to O'Flynn, who said: "No, the lads know I will be the top scorer, so they won't even go there with me!"
