Injured Blackpool captain Chris Maxwell says: I didn't rush back too soon

Blackpool’s club captain remains sidelined with a quad injury suffered in the defeat at Derby County in December.

It was only the 31-year-old goalkeeper’s second appearance after returning from his first quad injury, sustained in the 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at the start of October.

It led to suggestions from supporters that Maxwell had been brought back too soon but the Welshman insists that wasn’t the case.

He told the club’s Preview Show: “It was actually two weeks later than first expected.

“After I re-did it at Derby, I had another scan and the radiologist explained we didn’t come back too early. It wasn’t rushed.

“It was one of those things where I was just unlucky, which kills me because I like to have a reason why to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“Ultimately, in their professional opinion I was unlucky.

“Initially it didn’t feel as bad. When I first did it during the Blackburn game I tried to carry on, which was stupid from my point of view. It was almost the traditional old school approach of trying to forget about it and carry on but I had to come off.

“At Derby there were 10 to 15 minutes still to go and I managed to get through it, which there was no chance of doing against Blackburn.

While Maxwell is fully focused on his recovery, he’s refusing think about when he might return.

“It’s going as well as can be expected,” the keeper added. “It’s been a tough time for myself.

“I’ve never been in this situation before and for it to happen twice in such a short space of time is just so frustrating.

“But worse injuries have happened to other players out there and I’ve just got to go with it.

“I’m trying not to think too far ahead in terms of when I’m going to be back, which game I’m going to be back for, when I’m going to be training properly again and things like that.

“Instead, it’s just a case of getting my head down and working hard each day. Every day I’m getting closer to the finishing line.

“The sooner I’m back, the better for myself and I’m desperate to do that.”

On what it’s like to watch from the sidelines, Maxwell added: “It’s horrendous. I don’t know how the manager does it. I don’t know how the staff do it. I don’t know how all the fans sit there and watch the game not being in control. It’s like my worst nightmare.

“I can’t influence it in any way from the stand but I’m trying to have that one per cent influence in the dressing room. That’s what I’m trying to home in on.

“If I manage to make one player play better by one per cent, then I’m happy with that. I will keep supporting the lads and hopefully we’ll keep doing well.”

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