Cardiff boss seeks preseason return for injured Jamilu Collins
by Oviri Kelvin, Sports Editor, Abuja
Cardiff boss Steve Morison said the club will ensure it fasttrack Jamilu Collins’ return to action during next year’s preseason tour by the club.
Morison in a press conference, where he disclosed that the player would be out for the rest of the season after he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), lamented over Collins’ unfortunate layoff.
“We won’t see him again until next season,” Cardiff’s boss said in the press conference.
“It’s gutting for the lad. Really gutting. We are all here for him. We are going to make the next year the best it can possibly be for him.
“It’s the worst-case scenario. We will try and get him back for pre-season next year.
“One thing we do know is we will have one hell of a left-back next season,” Morison, who adjudged the Nigeria international as the best left-back, added.
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The Cardiff boss is optimistic Collins will recover quickly, aided by the support from his family that recently relocated to Wales.
According to him, the hardworking Collins, a great kid, exudes an infectious aura that attracts everyone to him.
He continued: “On a plus-point for him, his family has just moved over and he has his family with him now.
“The lads will get behind him, he will be around. I’m sure you’ll see his smiling face around the place. We have something else to fight for now.
“He is a great kid, he comes in with a smile on his face every day. He loved working every day with us and we loved working with him.
“He is someone you want around. He is infectious.
“As soon as he has his operation and he’s a bit more mobile he will be around the lads,” Morison insisted.
Collins joined Cardiff this summer on a free transfer from Bundesliga second-tier club, SC Paderborn, and has featured in four English Championship matches, including that against West Brom where he ruptured his ACL in the 9th minute.
Following the layoff, the Super Eagle who made coach Augustine Eguavoen’s squad in the 2022 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, will be unavailable for selection as Nigeria continue their qualifying campaign to the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.
