Michael Duffy's timely return is one key piece of the Derry City jigsaw as they refocus their title ambitions.
The flying winger has been one of the league’s outstanding talents for a decade, but injuries have held him back since returning to Derry from Dundalk.
He broke his leg on his return to the Candystripes last season and missed six months of the season, before being sidelined for the opening nine weeks of this campaign.
Duffy, 28, had been named in the starting team for Derry’s opening league game away to St Pat’s in February, but injured his calf in the warm-up.
It was another brutal setback for the two-time title winner with Dundalk who made his eagerly awaited return off the bench against his old club in Sunday’s 2-2 draw.
Derry’s injury problems have been well documented with key players like Cameron Dummigan, Mark Connolly and Ciaron Harkin sidelined with lengthy injuries.
Hot-shot striker Colm Whelan hasn’t played for his new club since rupturing his cruciate - with UCD - last summer, but was on the bench for the first time on Sunday.
Patrick McEleney is also out, but Duffy feels the return of key men like himself, Whelan and others to come will be vital as Derry try to get back on track after one win in six.
“It’s good to be back as it's been a frustrating year for myself, big time,” he said. “I'm just happy to be back getting minutes and hopefully I can push on.”
Duffy explained: “I was warming up for the St Pat’s game and went to sprint 15 minutes before kickoff. I pushed off and my calf went. I felt it seize up and I couldn't jump.
“I knew straight away that I’d done something to it. It was very frustrating for myself as I haven't done anything like that before.
“In my head I was thinking 'just get through pre-season' after the year I had last year. I just needed to get my body right, and I felt I had because I was in a good place.
“But then it happens and it's a setback again. That's football and it has been a tough two months for me but I'm just happy to be playing again.”
Returning to his hometown club, Duffy admits it was tough talking to fans on the street, knowing they were desperate to see him fit and impact games.
“All I want to do is play, score goals and be involved in goals,” he continued.
“It's just frustrating walking about as you know everyone and they’re all good-hearted and asking me how I am. I just want to play and it's draining.
“It was hard to take for the first few weeks but I dug in and I'm just happy to be at the other end of it. I want to get a run of games now.”
Derry were on track for victory at Oriel Park on Sunday only for Dundalk to hit back with two goals in 50 seconds, early in the second half.
But substitute Cian Kavanagh headed a brilliant equaliser with 11 minutes remaining to salvage a point for the Candystripes - and Duffy hailed their fightback.
“It was just a bad week for us, but we’re not going to drop the head and we’re going to fight,” he said of the home defeats to Bohemians and Drogheda United before it.
“There have been a lot of setbacks in the squad with injuries, but the players have dug in. We went to a tough place on Sunday and got a point.
“Everyone is thinking positively and we'll move on to Friday (Cork City at Turner’s Cross) as the squad is getting stronger and it's looking positive for us.
“It's great for morale around the squad to start seeing players coming back. It makes training competitive.
“You don't want to see four or five boys standing at the side of the pitch injured - you want them on the pitch so it's good for everyone.”
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