Hamilton Accies ace Kyle MacDonald could return from skull fracture for play-offs, says boss John Rankin

Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin reckons injured defender Kyle MacDonald could play for the club again before the end of the season – despite suffering a skull fracture two months ago.

The right-back was knocked unconscious in a defeat to Alloa on February 24 after a clash of heads with Wasps midfielder Miko Virtanen and scans later showed he had suffered an approximate 10cm crack to his skull.

That was expected to rule the East Kilbride man out for the rest of the campaign but the 24-year-old has been back doing light work and was spotted in training this week wearing a medical headband, as he bids to make a rapid return to the field.

Accies have two games remaining of the regular League One season before kicking-off their promotion play-off campaign against Alloa next month.

And Rankin said: “Macca has been allowed to do physical activities again now. Obviously, he has still got a fractured skull and will have for a period of time but he is adamant that his season is not finished and he will be able to play a part in it at some point.

“He has been running and keeping his fitness up. He still can’t have any physical contact just now but he has been doing extra work with myself and the coaches after training to make sure that he is ready.

“Although he can’t do contact, he can do passing drills, shooting, finishing and all that sort of stuff.

“He would need another scan but him and his long-term health is the most important thing.

“At this moment in time, it is still not advisable.”

Asked if he felt it would be right to put him back in for the play-offs, Rankin said: “That is up to Kyle.

“If he tells me he’s ready to go, I would trust him fully as long as the medical team is happy with it.

“We know it was traumatic what happened to him – we saw it, we heard it – but, to be fair to him, he is absolutely fearless.

“He has said openly that he is desperate to get back.

“He says he does not feel injured and he is ready to go so, to me, that tells me he has the mentality to go.

“It is just a case of when the medical team says he is ready to go and if they say he is ready to go, and Kyle is happy, that is fine by me.”

This weekend Accies travel to Alloa in a play-off dress rehearsal, kick-off at Recreation Park is 3pm.

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