Source: FOOTYMAD
I Feel Your Pain
Zdenek Kroca knows how hard it is to face a six month recovery programme. Killie defender Zdenek Kroca has assured his team-mate Ryan O'Leary that he can return from injury an even better player. O'Leary will be out of action for up to six months after suffering cruciate ligament damage during last week's goalless draw against Hearts. Kroca knows all about the problems associated with such an injury as he suffered the same fate earlier in his own career. The Czech believes O'Leary has the strength of character needed to come through the challenging months ahead. He said: "I feel really sorry for him because I know the situation. I had the same injury six years ago and it's hard to know that you are out of football for six months. After five and a half months, I was back in full training with the team but it was the end of the season so I missed more than half of the season with the injury. Sometimes these injuries happen and it's up to the player to be strong and be confident that you can come back stronger and better. We got together and it is only words but I think Ryan is a strong character and he will be as good as he was before the injury. We will wish him all the best for his recovery and hopefully after six months he will be back in the team and he will be as strong as he was in the opening games." Kroca, who moved to Rugby Park in the summer following a season at Luton Town, also backed Kilmarnock to be able to cope with the loss of one of their key players. He went on: "We had a really good pre-season and we gelled together in the first game. Unfortunately, Ryan is now out for six months. It's up to us to fill the hole he has left. But we have a good squad of players and it will be no problem for us to find a new player for his role and play as well as we did in the first four games." Kilmarnock travel to Inverness today, hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the season against a team who are sitting bottom of the SPL and who were knocked out of the Communities Cup by Ayr United in midweek. Kroca said: "We have had a good start and we haven't lost any of our first four games but I think we should have more than five goals. Now we play Inverness and it will mean another chance for us to get more points. I'm not looking forward to the long journey but I'm looking forward to the game and hopefully picking up the win."
