Kenneth To Return For Newport Clash

Defender Garry Kenneth is pencilled in for a return to the Bristol Rovers squad this weekend when we travel to Newport County, IF he gets through Tuesday's behind-closed-doors game with Exeter City unscathed,

Lifted from: dailyrecord.co.uk

The centre half, who signed last summer on a 3 year contract, has been out of action since January after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. It was a bitter blow for Kenneth as he was looking to impress newly appointed manager John Ward and find full fitness for the first time since joining the club. Ward spoke of his disappointment at losing the former Dundee United
man at the time and has had to make do without him as he has undergone rehabilitation. He has been taking part in training for a few weeks and is now at the stage where he requires match practice.

Tomorrow's clash will offer him the opportunity to play anything between 45-90 minutes of competitive football and therefore provide him with a good chance of earning a place in Ward's matchday squad at Rodney Parade on Saturday. Speculation is rife as to whether the Scot could get a starting place in the back four, allowing Tom Parkes to be pushed into midfield but that would be tampering for no apparent reason. Either way it is just pleasing to have a quality player returning to fitness - I'm sure Ward is looking forward to having one of his experienced men available again.

There is also further encouraging news on the injury front as the coaching staff are hopeful striker Ryan Brunt and midfielder Matt Gill will be available for our next home game against York City on August 24th. We have seriously lacked forward options in the first couple of weeks of the new season and so it will be a welcome sight to see Brunt back in the first team, hopefully being supplied by Gill and John-Joe O'Toole in central midfield.