Source: FOOTYMAD
Rovers Shelton Martis looking forward to returning from injury
Doncaster Rovers' Dutch defender, Shelton Martis, who has been hamstrung by a thigh injury for the last couple of weeks, could return to action in tomorrow's home game against Derby County The 25-year-old centre-back joined Rovers from West Bromwich Albion during the January transfer window and made an immediate impact on his return to the South Yorkshire club. But he was substituted in his third game back in the home game against Nottingham Forest last month with a hamstring problem. His brief partnership with on-loan defender Jason Shackell, which lasted all of 15 minutes before the Wolves' man suffered a recurrence of a groin problem on his return from surgery, won rave reviews from manager Sean O'Driscoll. Said the Doncaster boss: "We started the Forest game looking as strong and powerful (at the back) as we've done all season." Recalled Martis: "We spoke before the game and we both knew how we wanted to defend. It can take time to forge a good defensive partnership and what you have got to do is to draw on your experience and try to adapt to each other's game as quickly as possible. "The partnership worked well for the brief time that we played together and it was unfortunate that we both had to come off and neither of us have played since. "Jason's was the more serious injury and he's gone back to Wolves for treatment and he could be out for most of the season. "I just felt my hamstring tightening up and I came off more as a precaution. "I probably could have stayed on but had I done that there was the risk that I could have torn it and being out for six weeks. "That's what I did at Watford when I came here on loan last season and I didn't want the same thing to happen again. "It was frustrating because I'd only just come back here. I've only been out a couple of weeks but because games have been coming thick and fast I've missed five games so far." The first game that Martis missed was the South Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough - a game that will forever be remembered by Rovers fans at the game for the spectacular overhead goal scored by Elliott Ward - the man drafted in on a month's loan to cover for him. "It was a bit special wasn't it?" said Martis, "It's not something that I've ever considered doing." Despite his frustration, Martis says that he has settled in well at the club. "It helps that I have come to a club in the same division," he said.
