Carl Fletcher hoping Rhys Griffiths can overcome injury jinx

STRIKER Rhys Griffiths continues to see the start of his career at Argyle plagued by a series of injuries.

Griffiths was ruled out of the 3-0 defeat at Fleetwood Town on Saturday by a hamstring strain which he suffered in the 2-2 draw with table-topping Gillingham at Home Park the previous weekend.

The 32-year-old firefighter turned professional footballer will also be an absentee when the Pilgrims play Bradford City at Valley Parade tonight.

Griffiths has not travelled to the north of England with the rest of the Argyle squad for their back-to-back away games.

The seven-time Welsh Premier League top scorer suffered a calf injury on the eve of the season, after signing on a one-year contract from Port Talbot Town in July.

That forced him to sit out the first five competitive matches of the campaign, but he then scored on his debut – as a substitute – in the 3-2 win against Northampton Town at Home Park on September 1.

Since then, Griffiths has been in and out of the team because of injury problems, and it has restricted him to four starts and five appearances off the bench for the Pilgrims.

Manager Carl Fletcher told Herald Sport: "It never seems to be anything long-term, just a couple of weeks here and there. It's disappointing from our point of view and for Griff as well.

"He's here (at Argyle) on a one-year contract and wants to be involved in as many games as possible, and we want him to be involved in as many games as possible."

Fletcher admitted Argyle had amended Griffiths' training schedule to try to help him steer clear of injuries.

It is more in line with what he was used to when he played in the Welsh Premier League.

Fletcher said: "For part of the week he does his own stuff and then he joins in with the rest of the squad."

Nick Chadwick replaced Griffiths in the second half against Gillingham and made his first start for Argyle in nearly three months at Fleetwood.

Fletcher revealed Chadwick's return to first team duty had followed 'a heart to heart chat' between the pair of them.

Chadwick started the first three fixtures of this season, but then fell out of favour with the Pilgrims boss and even had a spell when he did not make the matchday squads of 18.

Fletcher said: "I spoke to him and mentioned a couple of things I wasn't happy with. He was left out of the squad for a few weeks.

"Since we had that heart to heart chat he has shown the same hunger and desire that he had when he first came back to the club last season.

"He's a big personality in the changing room and has worked really hard in training. He deserved his chance to play on Saturday and I thought he did well."

Meanwhile, the loan spell at Argyle of Peterborough United left-back Scott Griffiths ends after the game against Bradford.

Griffiths signed for the Pilgrims on October 9, and made his debut later that day in a 2-1 home win against Aldershot Town in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Fletcher added the 26-year-old to his squad because regular left-back Robbie Williams had a stomach muscle injury and Onismor Bhasera was on international duty with Zimbabwe at the time.

Griffiths started six matches for Argyle but has been an unused substitute for the last three.

He is not part of the first team plans at Peterborough and will hope to secure another move away from the Championship club before the deadline for 'emergency loan' signings on Thursday.

Fletcher said: "Scott has fitted in well with the lads. He hasn't played the last few games but he always gives 100 per cent, whether it's in training or in matches.

"He's a very likeable character and we were really lucky to get him here."

Fletcher hopes Williams will be fit for selection for Argyle's JPT southern section quarter-final against Oxford United at Home Park on Tuesday, December 4.