Returning Leyton Orient striker Kevin Lisbie hopes his seven week layoff will mean he’s fresh for tomorrow’s run-in with Notts County and can fire the O’s into the play-offs.
Last season’s top scorer told the Hackney Post: “No pro likes to be injured but it might help the team towards the end of the season.
“We won nine games in a row in the middle of the season and if we do that again, I can guarantee we’ll be in the playoffs.”
Impressive performances against Sheffield United and Bournemouth last week left Orient 10 points behind Tranmere in the last playoff place, and Lisbie believes his team can make up the ground.
“We’re 10 points off with 12 games left, why not. We feel like we are one of the better teams in the league – we’ve just got to be more consistent.”
The veteran striker scored just 10 minutes after returning as a sub on Saturday, finishing well after good work on the wing by Moses Odubajo.
Although he does not expect to start the game against Notts County tomorrow, he said he is ready if called upon: “I could do 90 minutes, I could do whatever the manager tells me to, but whether that would be good for me and the team is a different thing.
“I’ll probably make a sub appearance on Wednesday, just to make sure I don’t get injured.”
Manager Russell Slade said it had been difficult to cope without Lisbie, and called his scoring return “fairytale stuff.” Lisbie signed a new contract last month which will keep him at the Matchroom Stadium until June 2014.
The O’s will move above Notts County in the league table if they beat them tomorrow.
