David Healy has admitted that his workforce’s hopes of lifting the Danske Bank Premiership title for the fifth successive 12 months acquired a blow with the information that defender Jimmy Callacher is out for the “foreseeable future”.
he dependable 31-year-old limped out of the Boxing Day win over cross-town rivals Glentoran at The Oval and is probably not accessible for the rest of the marketing campaign.
It’s a double whammy for Healy as a result of influential midfielder Stephen Fallon may also not characteristic once more this season.
“Jimmy’s going to be out for the foreseeable future,” pressured Healy, in the present day named the Reavey Solicitors Supervisor of the Month for December — the Blues had been unbeaten over that interval and conceded merely two objectives.
“That’s disappointing, when you will have a participant of Jimmy’s calibre the place it’s not solely what he provides you on the enjoying aspect, however the expertise of being in and across the dressing room additionally.
“He’s nonetheless in and across the dressing room on the minute, he’s not going to contribute on the pitch for the foreseeable future however we hope that Michael Newberry (Callacher’s alternative) continues to play nicely. Stevie Fallon, in fact, can be out long-term.
“On the plus aspect, Ben Corridor goes to be again quickly and if Jimmy does get match and wholesome we’ll see what number of video games he will get earlier than the tip of the season.
“Will probably be an important month for the soccer membership — eight video games over the four-week interval.
“There are six groups most likely within the title race now however come the tip of the month or center of February there could also be three or 4 groups pushing and once you get to the tip of February it might be down to 2. You by no means know.
“But it surely’s a pivotal month for everybody. Whoever comes out of January in a powerful place will fancy their possibilities.”
Healy admitted he’ll be open for enterprise within the switch window.
“Sure, in fact,” he added after choosing up his fifteenth month-to-month supervisor award. “It helped us final 12 months, so most of the time when a participant is available in and hits the bottom operating, others do the identical.”
Nonetheless, Healy pressured that nobody might be leaving Windsor.
“Completely not,” he went on. “Josh Archer will proceed to do what he’s doing at Portadown, and we’ve got two younger children at Knockbreda who’re getting recreation time. So no person might be leaving. I say that, however a month is a very long time.”
