TALKING THISTLE Callum can’t wait to get in on the act for Jags again...
THE physical wounds have started to heal already. The mental scars have their own rehabilitation period, though.
After hitting the ground running for Partick Thistle this term, Callum Booth has seen his progress halted in the Premiership.
A knee ligament i njury sustained against St Johnstone earlier this month will keep the left-back out of action for up to 12 weeks.
It was a blow to Booth and Alan Archibald. While the Jags boss has games to look forward to, one of his key players faces a frustrating spell on the sidelines.
Booth said: “I am not too bad now that the news has sunk in but it took me a couple of days to get over what happened. I was gutted, absolutely devastated.
“That has been a few days now so I am j ust working towards getting back and trying to be positive.
“The first couple of days were a depressing time but I am trying to get on with it now.
“The mental side of the injury is the hardest part, definitely. When I actually did it, the physical pain wasn’t actually too sore and I thought it was a dead leg to begin with.
“After that, it was just a bit stiff and I haven’t had to take any tablets for the pain or anything like that.
“It is just trying to get your head round the fact that you will be out for so long and in those first couple of days you can’t really move.
“It is in your head and you think of all the downsides of being injured and even now it is still playing on my mind.
“That is tough to get over but it will be easier once I get my leg out of the brace and I can get working and see light at the end of the tunnel. This is definitely the worst part at the moment.”
BOOTH was an integral part of Archibald’s side once again last term and made seven appearances in the opening weeks of the campaign.
But he will now be forced to watch on as Thistle look to recover from a frustrating start to the season that has seen them lose four from four in the Premiership.
Booth said: “I have been back down in Haddington quite a lot, that is where my family and my wife’s family are from.
“If it had been another injury, I could have been in and around the club and it would have been a bit better but there is nothing I can do while my leg is in a brace for a month.
“You go through pre-season and work hard to get fit and then you look forward to the games and getting going.
“There is never a good time to get injured but for it to happen after a couple of games is really tough to take.
“I put so much work in over the summer and now this has stopped me and I will need to do another pre-season when I get back.
“It is not great timing but these things happen and I just need to get over it and get on with it now.”
The loss of Booth is an untimely setback for Thistle and Archibald will now look to make a move in the transfer market to give himself another defensive option.
The Jags return to action with a trip to Ross County after the international break and Booth has backed his Firhill teammates to pick up points sooner rather than later.