In a massive boost for Newcastle Jets, star striker Roy O’Donovan is set to return for Saturday night’s clash with Melbourne Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium.
O’Donovan has not been sighted in the league since early December, with the Irishman suffering a nasty groin injury against Perth Glory.
Jets boss Ernie Merrick confirmed that O’Donovan will be named in this week’s squad, a month earlier than expected.
“Roy has been training the house down over the last couple of weeks,” said Merrick.
“Over the last fortnight his match fitness has increased substantially and he has been consistently scoring goals at training.”
While it was the incident in Round 10 against the Glory that saw O’Donovan on the sidelines, the man himself admitted he was struggling with a groin issue in the early part of the season.
Despite this, O’Donovan scored 6 goals in 7 games and played a major role in the Jets’ resurgence through the season’s opening rounds.
Merrick said that while O’Donovan will return to the squad, he wasn’t sure what role he would play against the Victory.
“I haven’t decided what time period he will play against Victory, he may come off the bench or we could opt to use him in the first half.
“He will be assessed over the next couple of days and see how he is leading into the match.
“His fitness is high and he is the ultimate professional, so I have no doubt he can go out there and do a job for us, whatever role he ends up playing.”
