Craig Easton admits it is like having two new Dundee United signings after Fraser Fyvie and Billy King made their long-awaited comebacks from injury on Saturday against Alloa at Tannadice.
The duo came on in the second half of the Irn-Bru Cup tie and while they were unable to prevent the Wasps from going through after winning a penalty shoot-out, the reserve team manager who was in charge of the mainly youthful side for the game insists their arrival on the pitch was a big boost for the club and boss Csaba Laszlo.
United captain Fraser Fyvie has been out since suffering a cruciate ligament injury against Livingston on December 23, last year, while King arrived for the first day of pre-season with a hip problem.
Both have now taken their first steps towards returning to the first team, with another long-term injury victim Callum Booth playing the first 45 of the cup game after making his comeback against the same opponents in the league a week earlier.
Easton said: “It was pre-arranged that Callum would have 45 minutes.
“He has had an injury but has come back and got a wee bit of game time against Alloa for the first team last week.
“The gaffer wanted him to play 45 so big Ross Graham came on to replace him at left-back.
“We also wanted Fraser Fyvie to have 20 minutes or so as well as Billy King as they are also coming back from injury.
“It was good timing for it as the boys were getting a wee bit tired as they had put a lot of work in.
“So it was good to freshen it up with that bit of experience.
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“Fraser and Billy coming back is a big boost for the first team.
“It is great – like having two new signings. Fraser is club captain but has been out for a while but has worked so hard to get to where he is now.
“It is now a case of getting minutes under his belt, the same with Billy as well.
“But it is good to see them fit and back on the pitch.
“It is a boost for the fans and for the boys in the changing-room.”
