Dunfermline: Matty Todd resumes training after injury lay-off

The influential 23-year-old is yet to feature in a competitive match for the Pars this season after suffering a fractured collarbone during their first pre-season friendly at East Fife in June.

Boyhood Pars fan Todd underwent an operation after sustaining the injury and, earlier this week, saw a specialist who gave him the all-clear to make a comeback.

Speaking to Press Sport this week, James McPake confirmed that the player has resumed training, but a decision on whether he will be included in the squad for Saturday's trip to Partick Thistle is yet to be made, with the manager saying they will "give him to the very last minute".

"He got good news. He's fully training so we'll see how he goes by the end of the week, but we might hold off with him," he explained.

"He's in great condition through the work he's done. In terms of injuries, it's a frustrating one, but it's a good one at the same time, because he could do a lot of work, and he has done a lot of work, which is credit to him.

Matty Todd is yet to play a competitive match this season for the Pars. (Image: Craig Brown.)

"It's not been easy for him, but he's got the head down, and he's worked away. We'll see how he trains between now and Saturday, and then make a call on that late Friday if he's available or if not."

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McPake, meanwhile, said that trialists Dapo Mebude, a former Rangers youngster and Scotland under-21 cap, and Craig Clay, an ex-Motherwell midfielder who scored in a reserve win last month over Queen's Park, are continuing to train with the club and are "doing well", and that they will "keep assessing" their progress.

Mebude, 23, has been without a club since leaving Belgian outfit KV Oostende during the summer, but last week it was revealed he has been on trial with Dunfermline.

During his time with Rangers, he twice played against Dunfermline while on loan with Queen of the South, during the 2020/21 season, before going on to sign for Watford.

Mebude had a temporary stint at AFC Wimbledon, for whom he played 32 times, before moving to Oostende two years ago.

In January this year, he suffered life-threatening injuries in a freak car accident, which saw him cut out of the vehicle and spend five days in a coma.

Mebude required emergency surgery and, in an interview with The Athletic following the incident, said: "Life can be taken away from you at any time and your career is short, so I’m really excited to get back playing and fulfilling the potential I believe I’ve got."

McPake also stated that winger Kane Ritchie-Hosler, who was substituted during Friday night's derby win over Raith Rovers, should be fit for the trip to Firhill.

Dunfermline, who jumped to seventh after their first Championship win of the season, are just one point behind their fifth-placed opponents, who they defeated on their last trip to Maryhill in February.

"That's the level, that's the standard," McPake said of the win against the Rovers.

"We know in this league, to get anything from any game, you need to be at that level. The players know that; we know that, so that's what we need to take into Saturday's game, which is going to be a really tough game.

"You'll perform well in games and not get anything from them. That's just this league - there's a lot of good teams in it - but, to give yourself a chance in any game, then you need to be at that level.

"They're a good team. In the last couple of seasons, they've been in the play-offs and done well. You know the threat they pose, particularly with Brian Graham up front. Every time it comes around I speak about him, he's a good player. He's been a good player all his career, he's got goals, but they've got threats all over their team.

"We can just concentrate on ourselves. We want to go down and build on the performance levels, build on the two performances and the four points we've picked up in the last two league games, but we certainly know it's going to be tough.

"It's a tough place to go and play, and they're a tough team, so everything that's good about the Championship is these games, but all we really care about is we're going into it in decent form, in terms of performances, and we're looking to build on the back of a good three points on Friday night."