Only a little more than a month after it looked like James Collins would not make it through the season, Collins is very near to making a spectacular comeback to Derby County.
After committing to a tackle in February, the striker hobbled off the field in a 3-0 victory against Exeter. A scan revealed that he had injured his knee ligaments.
Though it was anticipated he might miss the championship run-in as Derby pursued promotion back to the division, he is now almost certain to return to Paul Warne’s plans. Derbyshire Live examines the striker in question in this article and the reasons behind his rapid recovery.
Observing Collins go through his paces during the warm-up would have cheered up the supporters who traveled to Northampton over the weekend.
In the locker room, where he is well-liked, it was seen as a confidence booster in the first place. Secondly, it was an opportunity to work him in front of his upcoming comeback. Although he was supposed to train this week, it’s unclear if the matchup with Blackpool is too soon for him.
Given that the last thing he needs is a setback—especially with the uncertainty surrounding Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s injury, the severity of which is still unknown—Paul Warne will have to decide whether to provide him some further time.
However, his return for the crucial match against Portsmouth on Tuesday, which is part of the promotion chase, would certainly boost everyone’s confidence.
You might remember that Warne had legitimate concerns about how long he would be without his top scorer when he originally hurt his knee during a tackle in the second half of the victory against Exeter. After further scans revealed ligament injury, the first thought was that he wouldn’t be able to play until the end of April.
Derby’s medical staff, however, made the decision to start Collins on a course of treatment that involved drawing blood, spinning it, and then injecting it back into his knee. This is referred to as platelet treatment.
Collins moved from missing 12 weeks to six weeks of time due to the ligament’s reattachment to the bone, as stated by head coach Paul Warne.
Not only has the treatment been quite effective, but the striker’s self-care professionalism has been crucial. He always goes to the gym and eats healthily.
After the loss to Northampton, Warne stated that Collins would return to training. However, when questioned about whether Collins would return for Blackpool during his pre-game press conference, he said, “I don’t think so.” To give himself a boost at the conclusion of the week, he might participate in light workout, but additional training will be necessary. The good news is that he’s not a Usain Bolt and he won’t mind if I say that he has excellent muscle memory.
This implies that he won’t need to undertake extensive sprint training prior to returning. He has a strong body. His issue wasn’t just a sore calf.
“He can play through pain, so it’s unlikely that he will require the customary two or three weeks of grass training to regain his form. We may be able to reheat it little, and we will need to do so since we will require his return.”
How has Derby fared since Collins’ injury and without him?
Given, they’ve done rather well. With the addition of Dwight Gayle on a free transfer, they have won six of the nine games that Collins missed. Collins’ return has come at the perfect time, as the forward is expected to score 20 goals this season, even if he is also injured.
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