Paul Simpson hopes Ryan Edmondson’s injury problems are behind him after the striker returned to action for Carlisle United.
The summer signing has had a stop-start beginning to life with the Blues since his close-season move.
He made his first appearance for a month as a sub in the 3-1 defeat at Hartlepool.
That followed an ankle injury – before which Edmondson had been sidelined with a hip problem.
The ex-Leeds United man looked sharp in his cameo at Victoria Park and Simpson says he has returned in good condition.
“He’s had a good couple of weeks of training, credit to Ross [Goodwin, physio] getting him fit again and Geoff [Haugh, rehab coach] with the work they do in the gym together,” manager Simpson said.
“There’s some good things to come from Ryan – I just hope we can keep him out on the pitch, get him a good, sustained run of games, get him fit and stronger.
“He’s a really good character to have around, he came on and did that job wide on the right [at Hartlepool], and he just wants to play, so hopefully we can get him playing regularly.”
Saturday was only Edmondson’s sixth appearance for the Cumbrians, the 21-year-old now back in contention ahead of next weekend’s home clash with Doncaster Rovers.
Simpson said he was pleased with the frontman’s attitude in a different role in the north east.
“It shows the personality of him that he didn’t even bat an eyelid when I said go and play wide right for me,” he said.
“I told him when he came to the club that I want him to play as a nine, through the middle of the pitch, but Kristian Dennis was doing an outstanding job up there on his own and I wasn’t prepared to change that.
“He came on, did what he had to do, and he’s a real threat out there because of his size.
“He showed running power by getting at the full back and all in all I think it’s been a really big squad performance.”
Edmondson could move up the pecking order if Omari Patrick is forced back onto the sidelines.
The two-goal sub is having a hamstring injury assessed after he went off late in Saturday’s victory – with wing-back Fin Back having a similar issue checked.
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