Mirallas back in training

Lyndon Lloyd , 29 November, 16comments | Jump to most recent

After missing the last three games, Kevin Mirallas is back in training after recovering from a hamstring strain.

The Belgian suffered the injury in the first half of the 2-1 win over Sunderland three weeks ago and his direct running and pace have been sorely missed in the Blues' attack.

There had been hopes that he would be back to play some part in the matches against Norwich and Arsenal in the past week but was forced to watch from the sidelines.

Whether he will be risked in Saturday's big game at the Etihad Stadium against Champions Manchester City is not clear at this point and David Moyes may well play his cards as close to his chest as he did ahead of yesterday's clash with the Gunners.

Reader Comments (16)

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Sam Hoare
1 Posted 29/11/2012 at 23:46:47

Get him back and fit. Keep Gibson, Fella and Baines fit and very soon we will be winning more games.

Jamie Sweet
2 Posted 29/11/2012 at 23:51:26

Can't wait to see him back in the team. No disrespect to Nais, but Kev is a different class!

Brian Murray
3 Posted 30/11/2012 at 07:45:03

I hope he's fit for Saturday...

COYB

Nick Armitage
4 Posted 30/11/2012 at 07:56:26

If Barkley needed to go on loan then I think Naismith does as well. He is shockingly bad and that is not disrespectful, it is factual.

James Martin
5 Posted 30/11/2012 at 08:27:50

3 goals from a player not even in his correct position. How is that shockingly bad? Whenever I've seen him on the right he puts in a workmanlike shift, doesn't get cuaght out defensively and keeps the ball. It'd be great to see him ripping past full backs but that's not his position.

It is not a fact that he is shockingly bad. If he played off Jelavic (or even uptop by himself when Jelavic is out of form), who knows how many goals he would get because he has that finisher's instinct to get in the right position in the box.

Jeremy Benson
6 Posted 30/11/2012 at 09:09:01

We've missed Mirallas – he adds some much-needed width. He also seems hungry enough to be at it each game too. He has settled into the Premier League faster than most players that I can recall. He might be brilliant in the future.

Naismith is a useful squad player – he hasn't set the world alight but he needs to settle in too.

Jamie Barlow
7 Posted 30/11/2012 at 09:32:43

If he is back in training he should start against City. He wouldn't have lost any fitness.

It's only been three weeks hasn't it?

I hate this game nearly as much the derby.

Sam Hoare
8 Posted 30/11/2012 at 10:18:32

Few things irritate me more than people giving clearly subjective opinions and then declaring them as facts.

Shane Corcoran
9 Posted 30/11/2012 at 10:55:16

NIck, what is actually fact is that your opinion is not fact.

Nick Entwistle
10 Posted 30/11/2012 at 10:56:23

I'm definitely in the pro-Naismith camp. He's not up to speed yet but when he is his work rate, vision and ability to ghost about undetected will have him as favoured as others. For a freebie, another Moyes masterstroke.

Ciarán McGlone
11 Posted 30/11/2012 at 11:12:50

Does that Moyes masterstroke include playing him out of position? — which appears to be the consensual opinion on why he's been so bad on the right.

Kieran Fitzgerald
12 Posted 30/11/2012 at 11:14:59

Nick, I agree with you on Naismith's value to date considering he was a freebie. We signed him for free from Scottish football. We spent almost £6m on Mirallas. We expect a certain standard. We spent £15m on Fellaini, we expect a certain standard. We signed Hitzlsperger on a free, we expect a certain standard.

Naismith and Hitzlsperger will not get play 40 games a season each. That's not why they were brought in. They will do a decent job as backup and I think that that is what they have both done to date.

Nick Entwistle
13 Posted 30/11/2012 at 11:32:20

Back up is fine by me for Naismith. He's hardly McFadden is he. Scores plenty enough from the right as well.

Joe Rooney
14 Posted 30/11/2012 at 12:15:29

Naismith for me has been really poor in build up play! Everything seems to break down and him and Coleman had a poor understanding.

That cross/pass he put when clean through was absolutely horrific!

I do want to see a Mirallas/Coleman partnership back in tandem ASAP... That was becoming just as effective as the left and we looked dangerous from all over!

Naismith should be an impact sub at best!

Peter Warren
15 Posted 30/11/2012 at 12:42:26

Naismith is just like Gosling:

Both pretty rubbish, both play on right, both average defensively, both lack pace, both have limited technical ability, both can't pass, both are crocks and both screwed their last club over.

Their one asset is that they are relatively young and have a knack of scoring goals.

Andy Stevens
16 Posted 30/11/2012 at 13:16:32

I'm also with you on Naismith Nick. Considering he was free, is playing wide and had a bad injury last year I think he has done pretty well so far. I think some fans get frustrated because he seems a little bit of a mixed bag – some good and some bad – but I think he needs a little more time before anyone can really tell for sure. I'm optimistic about him.

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