Hartlepool United injury news: Pete Wild handed massive Max Merrick boost & reveals how Chelsea star impressed him
Pete Wild handed massive Max Merrick boost & reveals how Chelsea star impressed him.
Hartlepool United have been handed a massive fitness boost with Max Merrick poised to return to the starting XI.
The on-loan Chelsea youngster, 20, has been back at his Premier League parent club receiving treatment for a thigh injury for the past six weeks, a spell that has coincided with HUFC falling down the National League table. Summer signing Nathan Fisher was deputising before Pools signed former Newcastle United goalkeeper Max Thompson on a short term deal. Merrick returned to Maiden Castle on Monday, instantly impressing Wild, and could return either on Saturday against Hornchurch at The Vic or on Tuesday away to AFC Fylde.
On Merrick, Wild told the Mail: “The biggest thing that impressed me with Max is when I got the job, he got hold of my number and he rang me, a 20-year-old kid - that's a massive positive. Straight away, the first thing he did, he's come up here and introduced himself on Monday morning, again a lot of young kids don’t do that in any walk of life, never mind in the football world, so I can see his confidence, I can see what he brings to the building.
“Everybody tells me he's the saviour, which is hilarious as you always get better when you're injured - ‘if we only had him,’ etc but no, joking aside, we're really pleased to have him in the building. We want him, Max [Thompson] and Young Fish [Nathan Fisher] to go bang at it and to push each other as three young goalkeepers and try and help in that department.”
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Thompson joined on an initial month-long deal which is due to expire next week, talks over his future are planned in the coming days.
On the wider injury front, Wild told BBC Tees Sport: “Yes, in terms of this weekend, fingers crossed. We are just working with Chelsea on Max Merrick and what his return to play is - is it on Saturday or is it Tuesday. We just need to get a real picture today and we're having a good discussion with Chelsea on Max. Hopefully that's a positive. Max Kouogun has now done a week's training, so Max will come into contention for Saturday, which is great.
“Cam John is still feeling his hamstring, so he's dropped out again this week. Charlie Thornton has rolled his ankle, so I would expect him to be a doubt for the weekend. Jack Earing is 50-50 for the weekend, hoping he trains today, but we'll see where Jack is. In terms of everybody else, I'd expect to be fit for the weekend.” Defender Liam Gibson is also back training and in contention for a return to the Pools squad.
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