Daniel Iversen injury timeframe outlined as Preston North End gear up for Millwall
PNE have been without their number one since early January
Preston North End assistant boss Stuart McCall says Daniel Iversen is a couple of weeks away from returning.
The goalkeeper injured his groin in January and has missed the last eight Championship games - which have resulted in one win, three draws and four defeats. Jack Walton deputised for three of those fixtures but Dai Cornell has stepped in to play the last five.
When asked about Iversen on Thursday, McCall told BBC Lancashire: “It's frustrating for Dan because the final piece of the jigsaw for him is kicking long balls. He is out there every day, diving about, making saves, doing short passes.
“But there's still a little bit, I'd say doubt, probably (with) the healing of the little tendon. Whatever it may be, it has just not fully healed yet. It’s almost there and you're probably wanting to push him a little bit quicker. If you do that, he could be out for a lot longer.
“So, he's not far away. I think Dai's done well in the last few games since he's come into the side, so it's not as though we have to push Dan a little bit quicker. But yeah, we'd like to think he'd be available for selection in the next two weeks.”
Loss of Iversen’s quality
McCall told the Lancashire Post: “I think he's the best goalkeeper in the league and naturally, you're going to miss somebody with that standing. It goalkeepers with their feet now were not such an important part of your build-up; with goal-kicks, as we normally do, you get a centre-back back there and they can play out.
“But it's the pass backs and the kicking out, so yeah, goalkeeping-wise he's there - he can do everything. He's still pulling saves out of the top drawer. He stopped one from my shot today that went top bins!
“He is so near but it'd be crazy to get to him to now and go and risk it, for another maybe seven days, and him be out a bit longer. So, it's a balancing act and yeah, he's champing it a bit to be back involved.”