BOSS Ralph Hasenhuttl admits it would feel like a “miracle” if forgotten man Sam McQueen were to return to a football pitch. The 26-year-old has endured injury hell over the past three years, not playing a competitive game since suffering a serious knee injury during a loan spell with Middlesbrough in October 2018. Having ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament, screws inserted during surgery to help repair the problem became infected, providing a huge setback to the former England under-21 international. Discussing McQueen’s lengthy recovery,
Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “His knee is good. He had some other problems, it’s a very long story to be honest. I’ve never had a situation where I was coming to a club and never see a player playing for two-and-a-half years now. Since I’m here I’ve never seen him on the pitch. But when you know the infection in his knee and how things were going on then it’s even now like a wonder that he’s still able to play football or will be maybe one time able to play football again. And finally, we don’t know if he will ever return back to the pitch but if (he does) then it’s a miracle.”
Hasenhuttl will later this month take his squad to Wales for a five-day training camp, incorporating friendly matches against Championship duo Cardiff City and Swansea City.
