Peterhead boss Jim McInally reckons they will soon have Jordon Brown back to his best after a stop-start beginning to the season.
Brown has 32 goals in 197 games for the Blue Toon but his preparations for the new campaign were hampered after contracting Covid-19.
He has made a series of substitute appearances so far in the league, with his only 90 minutes coming in the SPFL Trust Trophy against Dundee B.
The Peterhead manager has been impressed with Brown’s work in training, as he bids to push himself back into first-team reckoning.
McInally said: “Jordon is just about there. He’s getting a good amount of game-time coming on and I reckon another 90 minutes under his belt, he’ll be there.
“When you look at the figures from training, in terms of the work they do, Jordon is just about top.
“Getting Covid hit him pretty hard. He was starting a wee bit behind anyway then Covid knocked him for six. But he’s worked really hard to get back and he’s been doing extra sessions on a Thursday, which is everything you expect from Jordon.
“He’s got a great attitude and we’ll get him back to where he was. Jordon has got a threat scoring a goal, which sometimes you have to remind that’s what his strength is.
“Sometimes he can come back to get involved in the build-up play. But Jordon knows the score – there’ll be very few games he won’t participate in.”
Brown came off the bench against Falkirk earlier this month and scored a consolation goal, but has found himself playing catch-up behind the likes of Hamish Ritchie and Josh Mulligan.
There has been some interest from junior sides in Peterhead midfielder Derryn Kesson but he is happy to stay with the League One side.
McInally added: “He’s happy to stay and get and on with it. Derryn did well a few weeks ago and will get his chance again.
“If we don’t turn the corner then they will get their chance. He can go into the juniors any time, that’s what I said to him. He’s as well taking his chance here and trying to show us what he’s got.”
McInally will have midfielder Andy McCarthy available for today’s game against East Fife, after he missed the defeat to Airdrieonians. Simon Ferry has another week’s Achilles treatment under his belt and Russell McLean has shaken off a knee complaint which saw him start from the bench last weekend.
He added: “It’s an unforgiving league. Airdrie would have known that last week had we equalised, having been so far out of the game.
“There’ll be two or three changes (to the team). We need to get guys like Russell on the pitch because you saw the difference he made when he came on the pitch last week.
“Andy goes and wins the ball back for us and the energy he shoes, we missed that last week.
“East Fife are a bit like us, in that they’re going through a bad patch. But they’re expected to be in and around the play-offs after the last few seasons.
“If we defend better and stay in the game, we’ve always got a chance of getting goals. We need to make sure we win our battles and defend better.”