CHRIS Greenman is out to shake off his injury nightmare and re-establish himself in Worcester City's first team.

The 31-year-old defender and club captain returned in last weekend's FA Cup victory over Cirencester after 10 months on the sidelines following a cruciate knee ligament operation.

Having been plunged back into the fray following a handful of reserve outings, Greenman now wants to get himself fully fit.

"I feel OK. It has been more about looking after myself than anything.

"When you know you can't play, and that probably accounted for the first six to seven months, it can get frustrating.

"All I could do was give myself the opportunity to get back and try and play football.

"I have to be honest and say that when I came back in July it was touch and go mentally whether I would get back.

"But I had a practice game in pre-season and that told me I could get by.

"The surgeons have talked about the knee and hopefully that will compensate.

"We will have to see how it goes. I am still a long way off being 100 per cent fit, but if I keep working away that is all I can."

Greenman suffered his injury in Barton's second game in charge of City and so does no have much experience of his management, but Barton had enough faith in him to take him off the transfer list despite his injury.

"John knows the non-league scene and has managed at this level for a long time."

The former Coventry and Pet-erborough player, who has been with City for six years, thinks they have started the season well- especially in comparison to last season's disastrous opening under Graham Allner.

"The club was put in a lot of trouble last year and did well to stay up. It is important we are not playing catch-up like we were last year.

"All right, we have lost to sides we would expect to beat but we have won a couple of good away games.

"We have lost four games and can only really lose five or six more at the maximum, but it will be an open league again.

"We need to string eight or nine results together and that can make a lot of difference.