GARY O’Neil insisted Cherries will not rush back David Brooks – with the head coach stressing: “My only thought on that is what’s best for David Brooks.” Highly-rated Brooks has been sidelined for over a year since a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s’ Lymphoma in October 2021. After being given the all clear in May 2022, Brooks has been on the long road to full match fitness, with a hamstring injury setting back the Welsh international earlier this season. Pictured training with the first team this week, there is hopes that a return to action is not far away for the 25-year-old.
Asked for the latest on Brooks,
Gary O’Neil said: “Yeah, he’s done some stuff with us. Trained really well, looks good. Obviously still a lot of progression still to do to get him match ready, but yeah, he’s trained really well. Looks bright, looks sharp, still see the real quality that he has. So it would be a lovely bonus to get Brooksy back in and around it.”
With Cherries out of form and looking threadbare due to outgoings and injuries, there might be the temptation to rush Brooks back. However, O’Neil reiterated that Cherries will look after Brooks, ensuring that he returns when he is “ready to go.”
Gary O Neil said: “My only thought on that is what’s best for David Brooks. I think that the journey he’s been on, there’ll be no rushing David Brooks for what we need. It will be around what he needs and what’s best for him, until we can get him back to fully 100 per cent and ready to go.”
Trio Junior Stanislas, Ryan Fredericks, and Marcus Tavernier were all pictured training together as they step up their returns from injury. Speaking on veterans Fredericks and Stanislas,]
Gary O’Neil shared: “They’re both working hard to get themselves up to speed. I’m not sure on the exact time frames on either of them, but they’re both at a similar point in their recovery. They’ve been doing a little bit of work on the grass together. It’d be good to get them back because obviously we’ve had a couple go out on loan, we’ve had a few injuries, a few illnesses, so numbers aren’t as big as they were before the break.”
Discussing star Tarvernier,
Gary O’Neil added: “Tavs, the time frame now – they’re probably at a similar level (Tavernier, Fredericks, and Stanislas.) It changes. Obviously some progress faster than others. There’s no set date for a return on any of them, but obviously we’re pushing them. We have some big games coming up, so to get as many involved as possible will be big for us.”
O’Neil also confirmed goalkeeper Neto was back in training following a hamstring injury.
