Brian Gartland has been tipped to return stronger than ever from his cruciate ligament tear.
The Dundalk centre-half suffered the horrific injury 10 days ago against Shamrock Rovers and has been pencilled in for an April 30 operation.
His former Oriel Park teammate and current St Patrick’s Athletic boss Stephen O’Donnell is no stranger to ACL woes.
O’Donnell, who takes his table-topping side to Dundalk next weekend, had some words of encouragement for his old pal.
“I’ll have a chat with Brian during the week,” he said.
“I gave him a text last week when it happened. It didn’t look great. So I’ll get onto Brian during the week.
“Obviously you will be very disappointed, but then you sort of erase that quick enough after your operation when you get on the road to recovery.
“You never want it to happen, especially to one of your friends and ex-teammates. You never want to see that happen to anybody.
“But it’s very disappointing. It was his first start and 30 seconds in, that happens.
“He has been a great leader and a great player for Dundalk, and a great warrior.
“One thing he is, is a really fit man, so whatever he puts his mind to after the operation, he’ll get back as good as ever I’m sure”
O’Donnell outlined the steps that Gartland would have to take on his road to recovery.
“You have small goals all the time,” he said. “Probably the first one afterwards would be to straighten your knee. That seems like a little thing but it’s a big thing.
“Then you are onto the next one, putting weight on it.
“Then exercises, jogging, then you are onto ‘can we up the speed’, and then it’s changing direction.
“So, every couple of weeks there are different markers to hit and that’s what keeps you going.
“Then before you know it you are back in amongst it.
“But there will be down days, as there are with anything.
“When you have an injury and you see all your buddies and teammates going out training, it’s lonely enough.
“But Brian has the mental fortitude to deal with it and come back stronger.”
