Mike Williamson 'unsure' when South Shields FC stalwart Dillon Morse will return to contention
Mike Williamson has issued a fitness update as South Shields defender Dillon Morse looks to return to contention.
South Shields FC head coach Mike Williamson has revealed he is unsure when experienced defender Dillon Morse could return to contention and gave details on why the Mariners stalwart has been out of action.
Morse started the Mariners first two games of the season as they claimed maximum points from an away day at Scarborough Athletic and a home clash with Chorley - but had played just five minutes of action since the opening week of the campaign after he was diagnosed with tendinopathy.
The condition impacts on tendons and can cause pain, swelling and a loss of strength or movement and that has meant the Mariners are carefully managing the long-serving defender’s fitness program as he looks to gradually work his way back towards being in contention.
Williamson admitted he is unable to say when Morse could be available once again but stressed the centre-back is still ‘adding plenty of value’ by helping his team-mates in their own preparations for matches and training.
He told the club website: “Dillon has got tendinopathy so he has needed to step out for a bit. As you have come to know over the years, he’s a warrior and he wants to be on the pitch and it hurts him when he’s not. He’s still adding plenty of value around the place with the other lads but he’s working hard so I don’t really know, I don’t have a timescale, it’s just to see how he settles down, see how his load and program goes. We are very light on centre halves at the minute so Owen [Jordan] coming in has been fantastic.”
Summer signing set for scan
Elsewhere within the Mariners squad, centre-back Ethan Mann is expected to return to contention in the next couple of weeks as he heads into the final stages of his recovery from a hamstring injury he picked up in the home win against Marine earlier this month and midfielder David Carson is said to be ‘progressing well’ in his own rehabilitation. However, summer signing Jordan Marshall is awaiting an MRI scan on a hamstring injury he sustained in the recent defeat at current National League North leaders Hereford.
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