Yahoo News Ryan Mmaee told what he needs to do to make Stoke City breakthrough
Steven Schumacher has faith that Ryan Mmaee can score goals at Championship level if the striker can build on his return to the first team by getting as fit and sharp as possible.
Mmaee, aged 26, has had a challenging time of it since his last goal for Stoke, against Watford back in December. A spell with the under-21s to prove his attitude was followed by injuries and then illness, meaning he missed the end of term and didn't feature in any pre-season friendlies.
But he has been eased back in as a sub in the league since returning to training, got minutes for the under-21s and found the net when he started a 5-0 Carabao Cup win at Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
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Schumacher was delighted to see the striker chalk up an important moment and knows what is needed for him to keep making an impact for the team from week to week.
"It's been a long few months for Ryan," said Schumacher. "He picked up an injury off the back end of last season and struggled to get himself fit and then in pre-season he hasn't done much of it with us and we're trying to build his minutes up.
"He got half-an-hour at the weekend and an hour (at Middlesbrough) so I'm delighted and hope the goal will give him a bit of confidence. I say it all the time about Ryan, he's a good player and when he's fit and sharp and he can run around at the intensity we need him to he will score goals at this level. He just needs to get himself in that physical state where he can."
