Edinburgh City: Gary Naysmith hails his squad for dealing with ‘injury curse’

Edinburgh City boss Gary Naysmith says his players don't get the credit they deserve for keeping their League Two play-off hopes alive.

Danny Jardine had only just returned from a long-term hamstring issue but was again forced off in Wednesday’s draw with Stenhousemuir

The fourth-placed Citizens have been decimated by injuries this season and, despite a brief respite that saw a number of first-team regulars return at the start of the year, Naysmith admits his thread-bare squad isn't looking too healthy again.

Both James Farrell and Danny Jardine - the latter having just returned from a long-term hamstring issue - were forced off during Wednesday night's 1-1 draw with play-off rivals Stenhousemuir.

But Naysmith insists the resilience of those who have been fit to pull on the jersey have kept the Capital outfit's promotion hopes intact.

Ahead of tomorrow's trip to Albion Rovers, former Hearts and Everton full-back Naysmith said: "I've got a squad of 20 that includes two goalkeepers and if you take the seven who are currently out injured then we're down to just 11 players.

"The injury curse, and people might be fed up me talking about it, but it's coming back to haunt us again. The players deserve credit because they keep churning out results. There are no other teams in the league who would have not found the injuries we've had difficult to cope with and I stand by that. It's incredible. I don't deserve the credit but the players do. People don't look at the reasons why and they're too quick to criticise. Where does it end? How much can one club take?

"The team is again picking itself at this moment in time. Trying to plan for the weekend is really difficult as I don't know who will be fit and who won't. I just don't feel we're getting a break.

"We're still in fourth so it's probably going to come down to two or three teams going for that final place. We just need to take care of our own business and pick up as many points as we can and if we have to grind out a point here or there until we get more bodies back then so be it. We stay together as a tight unit and batter on."