Plymouth Argyle attacker Ryan Hardie has admitted he is not fully fit after returning from injury last week.
The 27-year-old has been a shining light for Miron Muslic since his appointment in January. He scored five goals in February, including the winner over Liverpool in the FA Cup and braces against West Bromwich Albion and Millwall. However, he picked up a back injury early in the 2-0 defeat against Blackburn Rovers, ruling him out for the next three games.
Plymouth struggled in his absence, drawing two and losing one. They received a boost against Sheffield Wednesday when the former Blackpool man returned to the bench, playing the second as the Owls left Home Park with a 3-0 victory.
Having returned to the bottom of the table, Muslic thrust Hardie back into his starting XI for the trip to Portsmouth. The forward once again proved his credentials by bagging a goal and an assist to earn the three points.
Hardie Playing Through The Pain Barrier
Plymouth face a crucial six-pointer against fellow strugglers Derby County on Saturday, where Hardie is once again expected to feature. He has admitted that he has returned from injury early though, insisting he is desperate to have an influence on the business end of the season. Speaking to Plymouth Live, he said:
“If I can be on the pitch half fit I’m going to be doing it. I felt like I need to help the team, especially after the Hull game. It really hit me hard at that point and I went on the grass for the first time on the Wednesday and was involved on the Saturday.
“It’s so hard watching a game that you can’t influence. To be back helping the team is where I want to be and hopefully we can continue that until the end of the season.”
Continuing, he revealed the extent of his back complaint, although reassured fans that he will be available until the end of the campaign:
“I did a twist, there was a disc causing fluid which caused nerve pain.
“Then there was muscle spasms so there was several things but it was just hard to get rid of. Hopefully, I’m on the mend now and will be out there until the end of the season.
“I don’t think you ever play a game 100 per cent, to be honest. Nobody is ever feeling absolutely amazing going into games, especially with the schedule we have got.”
Writer’s View
Ryan Hardie is so pivotal to Plymouth’s survival hopes, so there will be a degree of concern about his latest comments. It does show so much about his character that he is willing to put his body on the line in order to fight relegation. There’s no getting away from the fact that Plymouth are a better team with him in it. If he can remain available, they stand a much better chance of playing in the Championship next season.
