Dunfermline: Sam Fisher on injuries and impact on league season

The central defender said that it's "if buts and maybes" as to how differently the season may have panned out had they had better luck with player availability, but that they need to focus on the plus of having a "competitive" squad for the run-in.

Former Dundee star Fisher, 22, is one of several Pars stars to have endured frustrating spells on the sidelines throughout this term, with his most recent absence spanning six weeks.

He picked up a calf injury following a scoreless draw at Dundee United at the end of January, his last start for the first team, before returning as a substitute in the home win over the same opposition earlier this month.

Fisher was again utilised from the bench for Saturday's win over Greenock Morton at Cappielow, and is ready to play his part as Athletic attempt to chase a promotion play-off place, whilst staying clear of danger at the other end of the Championship table.

"It's all if, buts and maybes. You can’t look at it because it has happened," he replied when asked if the players wonder where the team could be placed had they had a fully-fit squad for most of the season.

"We know that we have a really good squad here. Yeah, if we had a fully fit team it might have been different, or it might not have. We are where we are.

"We are in a good position just now and we are trying to look up."

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Of his own recent absence, Fisher, who played for the reserves on Tuesday, explained: "I played on the Saturday against United, and then on Wednesday, got this muscle injury when I went up for a header, and just landed and just felt my calf straight away.

"It was six weeks I was out maybe so, I think I said it in the last interview, it has been such a stop start couple of months for me. Right now I’m feeling very good.

"I said that after the Ayr game as well. I was feeling brilliant and went and did my nose. I’m feeling good now and I just hope that can continue.

"It has been incredibly frustrating. The games that I came back into I played well. I felt really good, really strong and then, a couple of days later, I’m back out for six weeks again.

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"Mentally it has been quite tough, but there have been boys out at the same time, and the physio staff have been great with me. The manager has been brilliant as well.

"They have helped me massively. I’m fit now and looking to repay them all."

Being unable to have an impact on the team's results which watching from the sidelines is tough for any injured player to endure, and Fisher has been no different.

"You are sitting in the stand and you just want to do everything you can to go and help them out," he continued.

"That wasn’t the case but, like I said, we have a big squad now. That’s what we want. We want a competitive squad going into the business end of the season, and that’s what we have got.

“Looking about training sessions and coming up to games, boys are getting left out the squad, and that’s the point you are at now. You want to give the manager these kind of headaches.

"Anybody can come in and play and they will do a job. That’s what we want. All the boys are looking really good at the minute, training really well and playing really well.

"It is up to the boys who aren’t involved or on the bench to try and get their way in and get the manager’s trust in them."

Fisher added: "You are trying to finish the season as strong as you can. We want to win as many games as we can - if that’s play-offs, we want a really good end to the season. We know that if we can play well and we are in with a right chance.

"It is a tough run in but, if you look at everyone’s fixtures, they are all very tough games. We are not looking past Arbroath.

"We know that if we go there and win it’s a great three points. If not, then we will take it on the chin, but we are going there to get three points."