Jephcott should be fit after picking up a knock

STRIKER Luke Jephcott is expected to be fit for Plymouth Argyle’s League One game against play-off rivals Oxford United at Home Park on Saturday after an injury scare while on international duty with Wales under21s.

Jephcott had to be taken off at half-time in the 2023 European Championship qualifier against Switzerland in Lausanne last Friday had being on the receiving end of a heavy knock.

He was left with a swollen ankle and returned to Plymouth for treatment before Wales played

Bulgaria at Rodney Parade, the home of Newport County, on Tuesday night.

However, Jephcott’s injury was diagnosed as bone bruising and the Aberystwyth-born striker was taking part in training with the rest of the Argyle squad at Harper’s Park yesterday morning.

Argyle would not have wanted to be without Jephcott given that 19-goal top scorer Ryan Hardie has been ruled out for at least two games by a thigh problem.

Midfielder Panutche Camara will also return to the Argyle squad against Oxford after, like Jephcott, missing the 2-0 home win against Cheltenham Town and the 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town due to him being on international duty with Guinea-Bissau.

Camara scored his first goal for his country in a 3-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea, with that game and a 3-2 defeat by Angola both played in Portugal.

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher said: “Both (Camara and Jephcott) didn’t play many minutes. Luke got a kick against Switzerland and came off at half-time so he didn’t play in the next game.

“We got him home. It was just bone bruising and he’s fine, he’s training today. Panutche scored a goal but didn’t play many minutes so both are fresh, which is great for us, and both are raring to go.”

On the injury to Jephcott, Schumacher added: “The centre-back came through the back of him. I have seen it and it wasn’t a great tackle.

“He just got a whack on it and it was swollen. We got him back into Plymouth on Monday and he has had a bit of treatment this week and he’s training today on the grass so hopefully he will be fine.”

With Camara and Jephcott not getting much game time while they were away, Schumacher believes that will be a benefit for Argyle going forward over the final month of the League One campaign.

Schumacher said: “I’m actually not too worried that they didn’t play. They haven’t over-exerted themselves.

“They are okay, they are ready to go for us. We missed them, obviously, especially in the Ipswich game, but we didn’t miss them in the Cheltenham game because we won! Glad to have them back though.”

Jephcott is Argyle’s second top scorer behind Hardie this season with 11 goals from a total of 28 starts and 11 substitute appearances.