Scott Allan made his first Arbroath appearance in five months as he stepped off the bench in the Angus side’s draw with Dundee.
But after injuring his ankle just a few minutes in, the ex-Celtic, Dundee and Dundee United midfielder is praying his comeback won’t be curtailed.
Allan’s undoubted technical talents have been sacrificed in recent months for a more combative midfield engine room to fire up Lichties’ Championship survival bid.
Saturday’s run-out was his first since a 1-1 draw with Morton in December.
And he’s praying it won’t be his last action this term, as Arbroath get set to face Inverness on Tuesday.
“I was pleased to get back on the pitch until I fell down a divot and went over on my ankle,” Allan told Courier Sport.
“It’s sore and a bit swollen at the moment so I’m just going to have to see what the next few days bring.
“I’ll watch how it heals up and hopefully I can still play my part.”
Scott Allan willing to ‘adapt style’ to fit into Arbroath system
Allan has been patiently backing his Arbroath team-mates from the sidelines in recent months.
And he will continue to do so even if he can’t play, as he understands manager Dick Campbell’s reasons for going with alternative options.
“I’m not on banging on the gaffer’s door complaining,” added Allan, who was delighted with his side’s draw against Dundee.
“I’ve got a good relationship with him and appreciate what’s at stake at the moment.
“The boys have been doing well and a bit of continuity can help the team. We’ve played the top four recently and had clean sheets against them all.
“It doesn’t get much better than that.
“There are a lot of important games to be played but we’ve given ourselves something to build on with our defending.
“Defence comes first in a situation like now. If you can do that properly then you give yourself a chance to nick a goal.
“The style of football we are playing right now is necessary.
“It’s not one I’ve been historically associated with. I’m used to getting on the ball and trying to make things happen.
“But this is a collective team effort needed to stay up. I need to put the way I’ve played in the past to the side.
“It’s time for me to adapt my game to try and fit into the team.
“A lot of this is new to me. It’s been an eye-opener but I have huge appreciation for the immense work being done by my team-mates on the park.
“We’re all pulling together to get the team as far up the league as possible.”
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