TROY Archibald-Henville has thanked Swindon Town manager Paolo Di Canio and his coaching staff for guiding him through his recent injury problems, both mentally and physically.

Archibald-Henville has spent several weeks on the sidelines with a strain in a muscle at the back of a knee but could be included in Town’s matchday squad at Carlisle on Saturday.

And the former Exeter centre-back has revealed that Di Canio and his backroom team have ensured that his period out of the game has not become too painful.

“Before they said to me ‘try to stay positive, don’t get frustrated’,” he told the Advertiser.

“I think that’s the easiest thing to do and it’s happened to me in the past. Every player will probably tell you when you get injured and you’re out it’s so frustrating.

“You want to get back.

“They told me to stay positive and stay focused on getting back and getting back in the team.

“Although you know that’s the right thing to do, no one has actually said it to me before coach-wise.

“No one has spoken to me, taken me to the side and said to me ‘keep positive and you’ll be back soon’.”

After starting the first two games of the campaign, Archibald-Henville appeared to be one of the first names on Di Canio’s teamsheet.

But the ex-Tottenham trainee has gone on to watch Aden Flint secure a regular run in the side as well as see Darren Ward arrive on loan from Millwall.

However, he is ready to rise to the challenge and force his way back into the Robins’ starting line-up.

“Like I said before any of the games, I knew there was competition for places and with Wardy now it’s a bit more so now,” he said. “But I’m still the same, my plan here is still the same.

“I still want play as much as I can and do as much as I can for the team and for the club, as well as doing well for myself.

“Everyone was happy with the result at Stoke and we’ve had a few negative results since then but I think we’ll do well.

“I’m confident the team will do well this season.

“On Saturday we didn’t do as well as we could do but we know that. We’ve talk about it. We talk about stuff all the time, even after the games where we do well we talk about how to improve and how to do better in the next game.

“I’m sure we’re going to do well and we’re going to have another successful season like last year.”