Coventry City boss makes Callum O’Hare comeback admission as midfielder edges closer
Coventry City injury news from CoventryLive as Sky Blues midfielder Callum O’Hare ready to make the final few steps towards his comeback
Mark Robins admits he has considered “dipping” Callum O’Hare back into action for Coventry City but has instead decided to err on the side of caution. The Sky Blues forward has been back in full contact training for the last few weeks after just over nine months out with a ruptured ACL.
He appears to be making good progress as he goes through the final stages of his rehabilitation but while his manager has been tempted to push him on, he’s resisted the temptation to ensure the player is absolutely right before making his comeback. The next step appears to be a run-out in the Under-21s before being reintroduced to the first team squad on a matchday and joining in from the bench.
Asked how close he is to a development match, Robins said: “That depends on where it is and on the circumstances around it. It depends on the availability of everybody. There’s a lot of things to consider. I need to consider a lot of things before then.
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“I could have maybe dipped him into a game previously, but I just felt that it was too soon. He needs a block of training under his belt and he’s getting that now. So that’s the next step and then it’s going to be down to Callum and how he looks and feels. We need to look at it in terms of his testing and making sure there is a symmetry; that both legs, both knees and ankles are all the same and that we know where the power is coming from to mitigate any further problems.
“We have got to give him the best chance. It’s the same with any injury. They have to demonstrate that they’ve ticked the boxes, and the boxes are stringent to make sure that they’re alright.”
The international week provides an opportunity for City’s fit players to take a breather after three games in the space of eight days but O’Hare will be following an intensive programme.
“The next step for him is he’ll train next week. He’s going to be doing some more work. He’ll work hard and then you’ll get a bit of a rest and then he’ll work hard again. And then he’ll be back in training with the rest of the squad the following week as we work into the Bristol City match, and from that point on he could be close to a game. But we’ve just got to see. Like I say, I’m not putting any deadlines on it because I think it’d be unfair.”
