Delaney Battling For Fitness

Following the Tigers recent pre-season fixture with Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday night, Damien Delaney is now facing a battle to be fit for the opening match against West Bromwich Albion after suffering a serious head injury.

The influential defender lasted only a minute of the game after he collided with City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill as he tried to clear a long ball knocked over the Tigers backline. The result lasted eight minutes as Delaney lay on the Doncaster turf unmoved as paramedics rushed to his aid. Delaney eventually left the pitch on a stretcher before being taken to hospital to be later diagnosed with a broken nose.

Although a broken nose doesn’t sound too serious, the force was enough to knock Delaney unconscious and with such a serious head injury Delaney is now having to fight to be available for the opening day of the season in little over two weeks time.

With the season not far away, Parkinson must start to look at his options incase Damien doesn’t make the fixture. Sam Ricketts filled in on Wednesday night to partner fellow new-boy Michael Turner and both played well. The only other option is Sam Collins as Danny Coles is still injured and not expected to return to training until late August, mid-September.

The broken nose seems to be the current injury at the moment following Matt Duke’s against Winterton Rangers earlier in pre-season. At least it isn’t the common knee injuries that we had last season!

If Delaney can’t make the opening game, hopefully Parkinson will choose Ricketts to partner Turner as Collins doesn’t install any confidence for me – we will have to wait and see what happens but hopefully with a few weeks to recover Delaney will make it back to take his place in the defence.