Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: No pain all gain for Symes
MICHAEL Symes is hoping he has shrugged off his long-standing shoulder problem and admits the injury has been the most frustrating of his career. The talented frontman has been restricted to just six league starts this term and has not featured since playing through the pain barrier in the 1-1 draw at Brighton on October 9. Signed from Accrington Stanley in the summer, Symes demonstrated his skills for Cherries with a series of impressive displays to register four goals. But a persistent shoulder injury, first sustained when landing awkwardly after winning a penalty in the victory at Tranmere on August 21, has halted his good work and forced him on to the sidelines for the past six matches. Having also missed games because of the problem earlier in the campaign, Symes is now close to a return, although boss Eddie Howe is likely to tread carefully with the striker's comeback bid. Symes told the Echo: It's probably the most frustrating injury I've had. I've had worse injuries but it's the way it's just dragged on and on. This time, I've been out for five or six weeks and it seems to have done the trick. You come to a new club and you want to have a good start. I did well in the first couple of games I played and it was just frustrating for this to happen in the Tranmere game. It's just been persistent since then. It has stopped me playing the way I want to play. I think I'm quite a physical centre-forward and I was unable to use my right arm at all in some games, so it didn't really help. Symes admits he returned from the problem too soon earlier in the season but is hoping he has got it right this time round. This is the first full week's training I've had so I'm looking to get fit during full training with the lads and, hopefully, try to get back in the team as soon as possible, he said. All the exercises I was doing before which were painful, I'm feeling no pain on now. Hopefully, it's back to more or less the way it was. Cherries have forced their way into the League One top three ahead of today's trip to Leyton Orient and Symes added: The team has been doing really well. It's been difficult watching from the stands because you want to be involved. I've been doing extra work on strengthening my shoulder and it's been paying off.