STRIKER Michael Malcolm could return to the frontline in Weymouth's battle to beat the drop sooner than expected.
The 22-year-old had to be carried off on Tuesday after a sickening collision with Grays Athletic keeper Nicky Eyre, which left him with concussion and a huge black eye.
Boss John Hollins expected Malcolm to miss both this Saturday's clash at Crawley Town and next Tuesday's home encounter against Droylden but now he is more hopeful.
He said: "I have spoken with Michael and he is feeling okay. His jaw is sore and he cannot chew but he is feeling confident that he will be back sooner rather than later.
"We have still got to take precautions with him and I very much doubt he will be fit enough to be involved on Saturday but he could be available for Tuesday. We shall just have to see how he goes."
Trevor Challis made his first outing since suffering a groin strain at Cambridge United last month in the 1-1 draw against Grays and Hollins reckons midfielders Marcus Browning and Paolo Vernazza are also close to returning.
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He added: "Having Trevor back is a massive plus for us. He has fantastic character that rubs off on the rest of the team and he is also a natural left footer, which is something we have not got a lot of. Paolo and Marcus are also getting closer and now it is just a case of when do we risk them?
"Trevor came off the bench on Tuesday and came through the game well and Paolo and Marcus are both at a similar stage but players have got to feel comfortable that they can get through the game pain free. That is why we are relying a bit on their experience as to when to bring them back in."
Crawley have been a Jekyll and Hyde side of late. Last Saturday they hammered York City 6-1 but they followed that up with a 3-0 defeat at Histon. In fact they have only won one of their last six, conceding 11 goals in the process.
Hollins said: "Crawley's form shows exactly what this league is about. It proves what they can do and what can happen when you turn up in the wrong frame of mind or play below par.
"We proved our fighting spirit on Tuesday and it is important we take that into Saturday and get a result. We got stuck into Grays from the first minute and it really was a fantastic point for us.
"This stage of the season is all about battling qualities and character, and even if you are not that kind of player you have got to stand up for yourself.
"You cannot afford to lose the ball easily and if you do, you have got to go and get it back, not just rely on someone else to do it for you. If the whole team is fighting then you will get everything back."
The Terras dropped back into the drop-zone last night after Halifax Town beat Ebbsfleet United 1-0 thanks to Simon Heslop's winner.
Hollins' men currently sit fourth from bottom on the same points total as the Shaymen and Altrincham.
n Midfielder Sido Jombarti has left the Terras by mutual consent.
n Weymouth's last Blue Square Premier game of the season at home to Altrincham on April 26 will kick off at 5.15pm.
Setanta TV cameras will be covering all the league games live as the action unfolds on the final day.
Posted by: keeman, weymouth on 6:29pm Fri 11 Apr 08
It was an entertaining game on Tuesday, but lets face it we were lucky to get away with a draw. There was little between the two teams, except that Greys worked harder,hassled more and were more decisive. We will need 110% effort in our last games to avoid the drop.
It was an entertaining game on Tuesday, but lets face it we were lucky to get away with a draw. There was little between the two teams, except that Greys worked harder,hassled more and were more decisive. We will need 110% effort in our last games to avoid the drop.
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