Three-time league-leading scorer Kane Goodchild hopes a timely break from work will help him recover quicker from a hamstring injury as Charlestown brace for a test of their NPL title credentials.
The new-look Blues are top of the table after three wins but they suffered a major blow when Goodchild went down with a hamstring tear early in the 1-0 win over Lake Macquarie on Friday.
Goodchild has been told he could miss up to six weeks but he was aiming to return in half the time.
“I can focus 100 per cent on recovery at the moment because I’m on holidays,” Goodchild said. “I’ve got the next two weeks off and I’ve had one off already. I’ve been icing it and getting up to The Concept Gym to use the hyperbaric chamber there.
“I’ll know more once I see the physio, but I’m hoping to be back in three to four weeks.”
Charlestown have started life under coach David Tanchevski with wins over Hamilton, Maitland and Lakes but face heavyweights Lambton Jaffas and Broadmeadow in the next fortnight without their target man.
“It’s a shame because we’ve got some good games coming up I’d like to play in,” Goodchild said. “I’m definitely out this week and probably 100 per cent out the week after, but I’m aiming to get some minutes against Weston because we have Edgy the week after and I really want to be back for that.”
Goodchild has scored once in his return season at Charlestown after three years at Hamilton, and his combination with Scott Smith, who is also back from Olympic, is again proving a headache for defenders.
Smith has scored three times, and with Rene Ferguson, who banged in 11 goals last season, and Riley McNaughton also chipping in, the Blues boast a formidable attack.
“We’ve got good players all over the park and a young guy there in Cal Lewis, who’s got a good pedigree and was one of the leading scorer in the NEWFM comp last year, ready to take my spot,” Goodchild said. “There’s obviously Scotty there, Rene was up with the leading scorers last year and Riley has goals in him as well.”
Goodchild said Charlestown had overcome “a fairly disrupted preseason” to make their winning start and they were “getting a taste for it” ahead of the major tests.
“It’s a big challenge against Jaffas because they are looking like the team to beat this year,” he said.
The injury is also a blow to Goodchild’s chances of a fourth leading scorer award but he was hopeful of at least Smith adding to their tally.
“We want one of us to be leading scorer,” he said.
“We’ve won four of the last five between us and it would be good for the club and the team if one of us could do it again.”
