Sean: Jags better be top six by the time I get back...
SEAN WELSH has called upon his Partick Thistle team-mates to make sure his first game back from injury after the split is in the top six.
The midfielder has had surgery on a metatarsal injury, and all going well, he is scheduled to return to action on the first weekend after the league breaks in two.
And he is desperately hoping that he will be taking on one of the country’s top sides, rather than facing the prospect of a battle at the bottom of the table.
Welsh said: “The surgeon said it can range from between nine to 10 weeks, and nine weeks would be the first game of the split, and as the gaffer and the physio know I always try to go for the shortest timeframe possible.
“I’m hopeful I can make it for that first game, but we’ll see what happens.
“I would love to have my first game back be in the top six after the split. Every game is hard in this league and we know that, but hopefully the boys can get over the line and it would be great for me to come back and play against the top five teams.
“I’ve had my surgery and I’m on the road to recovery, and hopefully I’ll be back before you know it.”
The injury could hardly have come at a worse time for Welsh, who was enjoying arguably his best run of form in a Thistle jersey when he suffered the setback.
After going through the pain of more serious long-term injuries in the past though, he hasn’t been too affected by this relatively short spell on the sidelines.
“It hasn’t dampened my spirits too much,” he said. “I’m still in the moonboot and it will probably be another week or two of that before building it up and looking to get back training.
“It’s always frustrating to pick up an injury, no matter when it is, but even though I’d rather be out there playing, it’s not the worst injury.
“I’m used to being a spectator after my previous injuries, and it was frustrating back then when things might not have been going so well for the team.
“But thankfully they’ve been doing great while I’ve been out and have been playing really well this time.
“The boys are in great form and long may it continue, because we’ve got a right good chance of that top six spot if the boys can get another couple of wins.”
It has been suggested that Thistle’s form is such that a tilt at a European spot may even be something that the Jags can aim for, but Welsh is playing down those aspirations for the moment.
“For us, getting into that top six would be a massive achievement, so our focus has to be on winning the games we need to.
“If we do, then we will reassess our position once we’re in there, but first and foremost all we’ve got to be thinking about is getting the victories we need to make the top six.”