Thursday 30th March 2000 : Ken Steggles brings better news from treatment room

In his latest update from the treatment room, club physio Ken Steggles brings better news on a day when he said "everything has gone right."

Ken has had eight to ten first team players under treatment during the last fortnight but he emerged, blinking, into the daylight to deliver today's news exclusively for U's Net:

Clive Wilson (out for five weeks with a knee injury, made comeback for reserves yesterday): "He trained today and he looked very good and very strong. I'm pleased with him."

Neil Mustoe (out for two weeks with a torn hamstring): "He also trained today and he's very chirpy and singing away. I'm very happy with him."

Shaun Marshall (tore thigh muscle ten days ago at Luton): "He's doing ever so well. If he makes the expected progress over the weekend then he could even train on Monday."

Jon Hunt (signed on loan on deadline day but arrived with an slight injury): "He's in full training. He had an ankle injury and a slight Achilles problem when he came."

Paul Wanless (thigh problem earlier this week); "He's good, back in full training."

Neil Mackenzie: "He's got a problem with his knee and of those we've mentioned he won't be able to play on Saturday. It's the medial ligament and he might have pulled away a flake of bone, but although that sounds bad it's not a career threatening injury."

Tom Youngs (tore hamstring ten days ago at Luton): "He's doing ever so well, and he's been jogging for a couple of days. If everything goes to plan he may be able to return to training by, say, the middle of next week."

Michael Kyd (operation three weeks ago on torn knee cartilages): "He's still on crutches and he'll see the surgeon next week. It's a bad injury, that one. He is now bending the knee to right angles which is all that he's allowed to do in the three weeks since the operation. So he's done all that he's allowed to do."

Alex Russell (out for eight weeks after operation to repair torn thigh muscle sheath): "Alex is superb, he's possibly just ahead of schedule. I'm trying to get him away to Lilleshall next week for an assessment because they can do a computer read-out on muscle strength and reaction which I can't do here.

"If they give us the green light that will mean he can start some ball work and he could really feature in a few games late in the season. He's done really well, he's done everything right."

Andy Duncan (out since October with broken leg and also operation on heel in January): "I saw Andy this morning and that's the best I've seen him in the last three weeks since he had the injection for pain in his heel.

"He was running very strongly this morning and I did quite a bit of ball work with him. He did some power shooting and he's doing very well. His next treatment will be next week at Addenbrookes and then I'm going to try to get him away to Lilleshall as well for an assessment.

"He's looking OK for the end of the season and wouldn't it be nice to get him back for the last game of the season? What we'll do is get him right for the end of the season, send him away on holiday and get him to come back a bit early for pre-season.

"He's doing really well and I told him today he's back on schedule to what he was before the setback with his heel. And that's really good - players like to know that they're on schedule and everything's going well.

"We've had a good day. After a busy couple of weeks I'm really happy today - everything's gone right!"

Ken added, "I've had a lot of help from Greg Reid the Centre of Excellence physio. He's been working with the YTS boys and has got two or three of them back into training, and he's probably saved the club a week in time."