Neill Collins has revealed how impressed he has been with Lewis Vaughan after the Raith Rovers star underwent surgery this week.
Vaughan’s operation to repair a ruptured hamstring has been deemed a success, and it is still anticipated he will be back in action some time in the latter half of the season.
A rehabilitation of around four months is expected with similar injuries.
And, despite the bitter disappointment of another frustrating lay-off for a player who has lost four years of his career to knee injuries, Collins has hailed Vaughan’s reaction to the latest setback.
“You never know when they operate, sometimes it can be better or worse than they first expected,” Collins told Courier Sport.
“In this case, everything was as good as it possibly could have been. So that’s a positive sign.
“And, now, it’s just a case of getting on with the recovery.
“Lewis has impressed me, in terms of just how level-headed and accepting he’s been.
‘He’s got a target’
“You know, I think sometimes it can tip someone over the edge. But he’s been great.
“He’s been quite impressive, just in respect of not feeling sorry for himself.
“And I think the fact that he’s got a target and he knows that he can still impact this season is positive for everyone.”
The loss of Vaughan for a lengthy spell has been an undoubted blow for Raith but, generally speaking, their injury problems are easing.
After skipper Scott Brown made his comeback in last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Falkirk, Callum Fordyce is the latest to make a return.
The former Airdrie assistant-manager has been sidelined since damaging his ankle against his old club on the opening day of the league season.
However, he is in contention for an appearance away to Morton as Rovers look to gather momentum after their success in ending Falkirk’s 43-game unbeaten run and giving Collins his first victory.
“Callum Fordyce has trained great,” explained Collins. “So he’ll come back into the squad, which is another big boost.
“And both Scott Brown and Fankaty Dabo have trained great and they’ll be much better for it as well.”
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