Morgan wants to sit out Southend game

By Nathan Jackson
March 15 2005

Imps captain, Paul Morgan has told the Echo he would prefer to sit the Southend game out from a hamstring injury. He has however said it is Keith's choice as to whether he plays but Morgan doesn't want to end his season prematurely.

Morgan went home before the 3-2 defeat against Wycombe last weekend and whenever he has been out of the squad, City leak goals. Last season he got injured against Carlisle in the final few games of the season, in the final 5 games of the season (including playoffs), the Imps conceeded a massive 11 goals, a trend that continues whenever Morgan is injured.

"The hamstring doesn't feel too bad and I've been doing some running in training," Morgan told the Echo. However, there are 10 games to go and I would prefer to sit out another match, rather than risk aggravating the injury and missing the run-in. The decision is out of my hands because the manager will have the final say over whether I play or not. I'll see how training goes for the rest of the week and have a fitness test on Saturday morning to see how I am."

Morgan will be vital to the playoff push as the Imps still have to play all the other members of the top 7 as well as some very difficult games against other teams with something to play for. Morgan however only sees it as coincedence that the defence conceeds a lot of goals in the games he does not play.

"Matt made a couple of mistakes, but that can happen to anyone," said the Northern Ireland youth international. "I think it's just a coincidence with the results when I don't play. When you've played as a defensive unit as many times as we have, you get to know each other's games, so it is disappointing when you are forced to miss one or two matches."