Chris Johnston desperate to return and help Kilmarnock out of relegation trouble
Kilmarnock winger Chris Johnston is excited by the prospect of playing under Lee Clark as he moves closer to a comeback from a serious knee injury.
The 21-year-old has featured three times for the under-20s as he works his way back from the cruciate ligament damage he suffered in training in early August.
And Johnston believes Clark's approach will give him the platform to shine when he works his way back.
Johnston, who hopes to make the bench for Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership clash with St Johnstone, said: "He has told all the forward players to go out and express themselves, he is never going to criticise us for trying things.
"That's the best thing for me, if I try something that doesn't come off he is not going to criticise me. He is telling me to take on my man and put balls in the box and chip in with goals and assists because that is what it's all about.
"He's been great with me. I have been giving good performances in training and he has been dead happy with me. He has made me feel part of things, he has not missed me out.
"He has made me feel like one of the boys again, because before I was just in the gym and it's not a happy place to be for six or seven months.
"It's hard work and players who have had this injury will know the feeling. Other folk think, 'oh, you are just in the gym for two hours, that's not hard work'.
"But when you are in the gym and your team-mates are out playing and doing what you love doing, it is hard. Especially when that's all you know, ever since I was five years old I have just kicked a ball about. To take that away from me has been really hard."
Johnston's aim is to return and help his side escape from relegation danger before the end of the campaign.
"For me to come back and play this season is a bonus but I'm not seeing it like that, I just want to get back and help the team and help this club stay in the league, where it should be," he said.
Craig Slater is pushing for a recall after being confined to the bench at Firhill last week following a bout of illness.
Meanwhile, St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan Mannus admits his Euro 2016 chances are unlikely to be improved even if he shuts out Northern Ireland team-mate Josh Magennis on Saturday.
Mannus has been a regular in the Northern Ireland squad for more than a decade but has just seven caps to his name so far.
The 33-year-old has found himself down boss Michael O'Neill's pecking order, with Hamilton number one Michael McGovern and former Rangers and Manchester United stopper Roy Carroll preferred during the Green and White Army's sensational qualification bid for this summer's finals.
Mannus has the chance to make his mark when he comes up against international colleague Magennis in this weekend's crucial duel against Kilmarnock.
But the Saints keeper confessed he is not even confident he will be making the plane to France, never mind play a part in the Group C clashes with Germany, Ukraine and Poland.
He told Press Association Sport: "I don't know if club games are watched and what meaning they have, so I don't know if this weekend's match will have any extra significance with the fact I'll be playing against Josh.
"I'm just focusing on doing my best for the club. I'm not even sure how much your club form plays a part in the manager's decision - it probably comes down more to how you've done in the games for Northern Ireland.
"Josh has done really well every time we've been together in the international squad. I think he has a good chance of being involved.
"But I doubt I'll play a part in any of the games. I don't even know if I'm going yet. I wasn't there for the last squad because my wife was giving birth.
"So I'll have to see if I'm involved in the next squad for the friendlies before the Euros. It would be brilliant to be involved but I don't want to talk like I'm definitely going and end up looking stupid if I don't."
Craig Thomson was ruled out for the remainder of the season this week with a broken collarbone.
Boss Tommy Wright has already lost skipper Dave Mackay to a hip injury, while Steven Anderson and Murray Davidson (both hamstring) are both out of the trip to Killie - although they could return after the split.
However, Wright is boosted by Chris Millar's return from a hip problem, while Liam Craig is also back after suspension.
Source: PAR
