Plymouth Argyle manager Miron Muslic has confirmed defender Tymoteusz Puchacz is set to return having missed the club’s last game through injury.
The Devon outfit continued their fantastic form with a 5-1 home thrashing of Millwall, which leaves them within a point of a previously unlikely exit from the Championship relegation zone. A brace from Ryan Hardie helped Argyle to victory, with the Scottish striker key to their form. The win left them four unbeaten in all competitions with three wins on the bounce, including Sunday’s FA Cup upset against Liverpool.
The one negative of the game was Puchacz’s absence, but Muslic was quick to clear the situation up. The Bosnia-born Austrian confirmed the defender had missed Argyle’s impressive win through hamstring discomfort but has had the all-clear to return after a scan.
Speaking to Plymouth Live after the game, he said, “He felt discomfort yesterday (on Tuesday) with his hamstring.”
“Luckily, the scan is clean, but it was still a risk for him to play and I have to protect Puszka. He’s a key performance player and I want to have him available for the next weeks and challenging months.”
Polish international Puchacz joined Argyle on a season-long loan from German side Holstein Kiel, and has impressed in his short spell at Home Park thus far. Despite only making five appearances for the club, he has established himself as a fan favourite in Plymouth’s unlikely fight against relegation. Having struggled for game time in Germany, Puchacz is thriving at a club where he is a key player, with many hoping he stays beyond the summer.
Writer’s View
This is a shrewd decision from Muslic, who has done a fantastic job in his time at Plymouth so far. He has got them to the point where they stand a chance of survival, which looked impossible before he joined, so the club have to plan accordingly. Puchacz is a key part of his manager’s plans and has been integral to the club’s recent success, so it makes sense that they want to preserve him. The decision paid of perfectly with Plymouth beating Millwall comfortably without risking further injury to the Pole. He appears to be ready to return immediately, which will help Plymouth hugely.
