Midfielder frustrated to be sidelined through injury, but aims to make positive return.
Midfield playmaker Chris Clements is aiming to return to our team better than ever before, but admits he feels frustrated to be currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.The 24-year-old, who has enjoyed a great start to the season, picked up the injury in the early stages of the second half against Carlisle United last Saturday and had to be replaced by team-mate Jamie McGuire.
Scans have since revealed that he could be out of action for up to a month.
âItâs a horrible time to get injured,â admitted Clements. âI think Iâve established myself in the team, started playing well, and then this happens.
âI was tracking back and then I just felt it pop. I thought it was cramp, but then I couldnât run on it. Iâve had the scan results and it says Iâve got an 11 centimetre tear.â
He continued: âI thought I was doing pretty well, but this seems to happen when youâre doing well. The same thing happened last year when I got myself in the team then got a bad injury against York.
âBut I think thatâs going to help me this year, because I came back even better last year and Iâll be hoping to do the same this year.â
Having bagged the winner in last monthâs 1-0 win over Newport County and enjoyed a solid start this term, Clements believes our team must now âkick onâ in order to continue climbing up the Sky Bet League Two table.
âI think weâve done well this year and started well,â added the playmaker.
âWeâve just got to âkick onâ now and keep playing how weâve been playing lately â apart from the second half against Carlisle which wasnât us, as we just had a bad second half at the office.
âBut I think we can kick on from here. To actually concede two goals, in previous years we would have collapsed and conceded a third or a fourth, so it just shows there is still a bit of resilience in the team to hold on for victory.â
On our team-spirit, which has drawn widespread praise in recent weeks, Clements said: âWeâve got people working for each other and fighting for the cause and thatâs what weâve got to do this year.
âObviously the squad is smaller, so everyone has got to pull their weight. Weâre a tight-knit group and weâd run through a brick wall for each other. Thatâs basically what it is â us against the world, proving we can [succeed] as a small squad.â
Chris Clements' full interview is now available on Stags Player. To subscribe, click here.