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DARREN Pratley insists he won’t hold back in Wanderers’ survival bid despite suffering two broken legs in 18 months.
The all-action midfielder returned from a fractured fibula after just seven weeks on the side-lines to help the Whites to a solid 0-0 draw at Norwich City on Saturday.
The 32-year-old admitted to some ring-rustiness at Carrow Road but says he cannot allow his misfortune with injury to play on his mind as he continues to provide the muscle in the middle of the park for Phil Parkinson’s side.
“Sometimes you think twice,” he told The Bolton News. “I haven’t really been tackling in training so in the back of your head there’s a little voice when you go into one but it’s usually when you pull out of the tackle that you get injured. You can’t afford to do that.
“Breaking my leg twice within a year is gutting but I have worked hard and I’ve got good physios behind me. The lads also keep me involved with the banter in the changing rooms and stuff, and it’s good to be back.”
Pratley has had limited chance to train with the first team because of the busy schedule in recent weeks but got through 90-plus minutes against the Canaries as Wanderers preserved their four-point cushion on the bottom three.
“It felt horrible,” the club captain admitted. “I’ve only really had four sessions since I was out for seven weeks, so I was thrown in a bit at the deep end.
“I felt every single minute. I picked probably the worst game to come back but the team were brilliant and they dug in.
“Nobody expected us to get a point considering the way our away form has been.
“The game reminded me a bit of Fulham away. They had the majority of possession and we’re not a possession-based team, anyone who sees us play knows we’re not going to start rolling it out from the back. We’ll go a bit longer.
“Sometimes you have to soak it up. They played all the football, we dug in, we got a point.”
Both Karl Henry and Mark Little will be suspended for this weekend’s home game against Preston North End but Wanderers will hope an ankle injury picked up by Reece Burke will not rule him out for the Lancashire derby.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/16050586.Two_broken_legs_in_18_months____But_Pratley_won_t_back_down_in_relegation_fight/
The all-action midfielder returned from a fractured fibula after just seven weeks on the side-lines to help the Whites to a solid 0-0 draw at Norwich City on Saturday.
The 32-year-old admitted to some ring-rustiness at Carrow Road but says he cannot allow his misfortune with injury to play on his mind as he continues to provide the muscle in the middle of the park for Phil Parkinson’s side.
“Sometimes you think twice,” he told The Bolton News. “I haven’t really been tackling in training so in the back of your head there’s a little voice when you go into one but it’s usually when you pull out of the tackle that you get injured. You can’t afford to do that.
“Breaking my leg twice within a year is gutting but I have worked hard and I’ve got good physios behind me. The lads also keep me involved with the banter in the changing rooms and stuff, and it’s good to be back.”
Pratley has had limited chance to train with the first team because of the busy schedule in recent weeks but got through 90-plus minutes against the Canaries as Wanderers preserved their four-point cushion on the bottom three.
“It felt horrible,” the club captain admitted. “I’ve only really had four sessions since I was out for seven weeks, so I was thrown in a bit at the deep end.
“I felt every single minute. I picked probably the worst game to come back but the team were brilliant and they dug in.
“Nobody expected us to get a point considering the way our away form has been.
“The game reminded me a bit of Fulham away. They had the majority of possession and we’re not a possession-based team, anyone who sees us play knows we’re not going to start rolling it out from the back. We’ll go a bit longer.
“Sometimes you have to soak it up. They played all the football, we dug in, we got a point.”
Both Karl Henry and Mark Little will be suspended for this weekend’s home game against Preston North End but Wanderers will hope an ankle injury picked up by Reece Burke will not rule him out for the Lancashire derby.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/16050586.Two_broken_legs_in_18_months____But_Pratley_won_t_back_down_in_relegation_fight/
