Ross County defender Grivosti needs cool head as he makes progress on return from long term injury
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Malky Mackay is sending a message of calm to Tom Grivosti as the defender battles his way back to fitness.
The 22-year-old defender has had rotten luck with injuries in recent season, first suffering a fractured tow that kept him out of action for a little under a year, then picking up a hamstring issue just seven games into his return.
That has kept him back on the sidelines ever since, meaning those seven appearances are the only times he has played for the Staggies since October 2019.
Grivosti was highly rated by Stuart Kettlewell, who was still manager last time he made it on to the pitch, noted for his versatility across the backline as well as his comfort level while in possession as much as out of it.
Mackay knows full well the potential player he has on his hands if and when Grivosti gets back into the fold, but he is imploring the young defender to be calm as he takes it step by step in training.
"A few weeks ago, he put boots on," Mackay revealed.
"When I arrived, Tom was recovering from his operation, so it was great to see him out walking then jogging in boots and doing some work with the physios to being out on the pitches and joining in with warm-ups to now starting to join in with almost three-quarters of training.
"I have been there myself with long-term injuries and it's not a pleasant place to be, especially for someone so young. It will take time for him to get back to match sharpness and having a career again.
"It's a process. You put the boots back on and you mingle with the squad again and I'm delighted for him.
"I said to him he's got 15 years ahead of him – have patience. Your body has to last you for the next 15 years and you have to ensure that this injury doesn't recur and recur because you're too eager to get back.
"You have got to give yourself time. An extra bit of time at this end can be an extra five years at the other end.
"He is a young man who wants to get back in and impress me and get back into the team. It's a case of needing to calm down, so that when you do get back you stay fit and you don't break down again. That would be the worst thing in the world for him.
County's disrupted pre-season has been well-documented, but not having a match last weekend has allowed them to put extra work in on the training ground.
It may still be difficult to judge the exact impact of Covid on the squad – for some because of the time it took for them to recover, and for others the loss of training time ahead of the season – but Mackay is confident his players are finally starting to reach top gear.
"They're nearly there," he insisted.
"It was just great to get another three or four heavy days without it affecting the game at the end of the week.
"To have Covid further in the distance again, everybody is fine and there are no issues with colds or coughs. Everyone has just been able to work hard for a week without any issues or bring tired for the game on Saturday. That's the main thing."
