CHRIS LAKEY Mark Fotheringham is hoping to carry on where he left off three months ago - and help solve a midfield problem for Glenn Roeder. The City boss watched Fotheringham put in a good 65 minutes for the reserves on Monday on his return from an ankle ligament injury - a performance which will give Roeder food for thought when he names his team for Saturday's visit of Coventry City.

CHRIS LAKEY

Mark Fotheringham is hoping to carry on where he left off three months ago - and help solve a midfield problem for Glenn Roeder.

The City boss watched Fotheringham put in a good 65 minutes for the reserves on Monday on his return from an ankle ligament injury - a performance which will give Roeder food for thought when he names his team for Saturday's visit of Coventry City.

Fotheringham hadn't played since August 18, when he limped off near the end of the 2-1 home win over Southampton - a game he had helped turn on its head after being introduced as a half-time sub with City a goal down.

Having spent the summer working overtime on his fitness it was a huge blow for the 24-year-old Scot - but his return could prove to be perfectly timed.

"I have had a chat with the manager and he said, 'listen, we need players like that at this moment in time', so I am just looking forward to getting as many games as I can."

The prospect of working under Roeder and his assistant, Lee Clark, clearly appeals to a player who struggled to hold down one position for any time under Peter Grant.

"The new manager has come in and to be honest I can't wait to work with him," said Fotheringham. "If you look at the players he brought through - Joe Cole and Frank Lampard and guys like that. Those boys you look up to, they are great footballers, and if I can learn half of what he has taught these guys then I'll be happy.

"I can remember watching Lee Clark play at Newcastle and Sunderland and at Fulham under Jean Tigana and that is the sort of football I like to play - I can't wait to start working with them and just get back to playing football again."

While the injury lay-off was bad enough, the memory of his last performance - arguably his best for City since joining in January - simply makes it more frustrating.

"I'd had a chat with Peter Grant in the summer time and I wasn't happy playing left midfield and I think a lot of people saw it wasn't my natural position.

"It felt like I had a right good chance of playing centre midfield this season and I worked hard and it is just really frustrating that the injury came at that time.

"It's even more frustrating sitting on the sidelines and watching the guys and not being able to help them.

"But I have worked hard and just want to take it from where I left off in the game against Southampton.

"It's been a long time and a long wait but I am delighted to be back. It's good to get a game under my belt. To be honest with you it has been the worst three months of my career so far, just sitting there watching the lads week in, week out and not being able to do anything, not being able to help."

Fotheringham says his fitness levels are good and the ankle is fine - the rest is up to Roeder.

"It feels great, I have no problems at all," he said. "I think the physios are happy to get me out of the treatment room because I've been causing a lot of trouble up there at Colney. But the ankle feels great and my fitness feels okay as well, so hopefully I can just add that sort of match sharpness - but you see when you get into the games that your adrenaline is going and you don't notice it so much.

"I am available to play any sort of game - to me everything is 100pc and if I am called upon I will be there, I will be ready to play.

"Everything is feeling good, I just want to get playing football as soon as possible."