One of the highlights of the Crawley game, certainly those before 3:15 pm, was the return of Tyler Walker to the matchday squad.
It’s easy to forget that Tyler was a marquee signing in the summer of 2023, but he’s had a horrible time with injury. After being ruled out for most of last season, he came back for one game, looked hungry in pre-season, and then got injured again on our pre-season tour. I was told the club videoed all sessions, and the one where Tyler got injured is completely freak – the moment is one you could see a thousand times in training without a player suffering any ill effects.
That has ruled him out since July, and while we’re not expecting to see him in action tonight, this was the first sign that he’s nearing the first team squad. However, in his pre-match press conference this week, Michael Skubala has put some meat on the bones, so to speak. Chatting to BBC Radio Lincolnshire, he explained the decision to include Tyler in the squad, even if he wasn’t likely to get on the field, and outlined what the next month or so looks like for the former Coventry City striker.
“Tyler is in a situation where he’s building back minutes,” said Michael. “He’s been out of football for ages. We put him on the bench last game of the season just in case because we know his quality. Then he got injured again, and he’s on his way back.”
That said, as our head coach elaborated, the nature of the injury is not quite as cut and dry as that of others.
“He’s dealing with an injury that can be intermittent. We’ve got to build him up slowly and get him back, but he might need to go back and forth a bit before he’s fully fit. It’s going to take time, and we need to work out what to do.”
However, while he was unlikely to get on against Crawley, there were some benefits in terms of his return. Getting him around the matchday squad is surely a mental barrier, something that will help him as he looks to get to physical fitness.
“With nine subs, we can get Tyler on the bench and integrate him back into the dressing room.” added Michael. “There’s no better feeling for a player than being part of the dressing room, winning and losing. That’s their sugar, their sacred place. When you’ve not been there for a while, it’s hard to feel part of it. Getting Tyler back into that motion is key.”
So, with that in mind, what is the plan? When will we see Tyler Walker back in a Lincoln City shirt? He was once one of the most lethal strikers I’d ever seen play for us, and he could be a wild card in the second half of the season.
“He’s capable of playing short minutes, but we don’t want to risk him too much,” finished Michael. “We’re working hard with him, and he’s working incredibly hard in training.
“He wants to play, but we’ve got to ensure he keeps progressing without breaking down. It’s a slow process. He’s missed a lot of football over his career and has to be ready. That readiness will come in different ways and at different times.”
I wouldn’t expect to see him in the first team squad for a couple of weeks at least. Ben House is back from illness, and Bailey Cadamarteri will be eager to get minutes, as will Rob Street. There’s no urgent need to push Tyler into the side, but when he is fit, he will be an unknown quantity.
That’s intriguing, at the very least.
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