Paul Gough the Club Physiotherapist spoke today to keep us updated with the progress of the long term injured.

On Brian Close. He has gone back to see the consultant in Northallerton today just to get a second opinion really.

He obviously had a MRI scan and x ray following the game he was injured which was Lincoln I think.

That revealed a stress fracture of his cocanious bone in his foot. In addition, Brian suffered some ligament damage. We think that the fracture is healing nicely but it is the ligurement that is causing concern now with a little bit of instability at the base of his heel. It was said that it should have healed in around five weeks really, Brian has progressed well but he is still struggling a bit so he has gone back for a view of what further can be done. As well as how long it will take to settle down.

Goughy then spoke of his amazement to the progress David Duke is making for having a double hernia operation.

Duke is for my experience is the best double hernia recovery I have seen, he actually walked out of the hospital after just two days. That is very uncommon normally you have to spend two weeks on crutches

He managed to walk out and up and down stairs no problem.

He has been in a decent level of rehab since a week after surgery. He has been swimming bike riding jogging doing pretty much everything and more at this stage so he will be back into full training next week. We will take it up from there and he could be involved in a reserve game the week after next.

Goughy admitted that Duke had yet to do any ball work and would build that up next week.

Because of the recent bad weather Quakers were forced into using the Boro astro turf facility at Rock Cliff Park. As a result, the squad has picked up a number of injuries.

With the astro turf, being a harder surface it puts more stress through the back, this causes a tightening of the lumbar region in the back, this can cause hamstring problems groin problem even quad problem, Because everything tightens around the lower back.

Unfortunately, a consequence of that but you has to way up the risk against losing three days of training.

We try to protect some of the players who have history such as Keltie who might have had a reaction to his knee, Jonjo picked up an ankle problem, as did Anth Peacock with a calf strain.

On Monday morning we had ten players out and in the gym, their was more in the gym than was actually training, but it was on the whole general aches and pains, no one wants things like this to persist so it is a case of stretching them out with massage, the vast majority returned to training only Anth Peacock missed and Phil Stamp who has a badly swollen toe which he is going to have x rayed as we speak.

Finishing on Joey Hutchinson we can report that his operation went really well, Goughy said that he is doing really well following the operation, it is on his dominant leg this time, he will progress much quicker than on his left leg previously, the muscle strength is a lot better he looks very good to be honest he is in the gym already, doing gentle bike riding doing his stretching exercises and a little bit of balance work.

However, at this stage, it is a case of getting the swelling down and getting early movement if you can him can maybe start swimming in a week or two.

Joey suffered a complete rupture of his acl tendon and slight problem with lateral cartilage that did not need any surgery it will heal with the time Joey is out. It will not cause a problem because of the position that it is in. However about the tendon damage once it is damaged it is damaged and needs putting back in completely. However, Joey will be back in pre season in July.