JAMIE Vincent insists a return of the walking wounded will breathe fresh life into Town's League One campaign - admitting to a sense of frustration currently prevailing at the County Ground.

The Swindon left-back believes he is close to full fitness after a troublesome calf injury but after two previous premature comebacks he knows patience is the key.

Fellow injury victims Lee Peacock, Christian Roberts, Phil Smith, Barry Corr, Steve Adams and Ady Williams are also expected to return sooner than later and Vincent believes that is just the boost needed.

He said: "It has been so frustrating for all the players who have been out of the squad through injury. What can you do except watch? And that hurts.

"We could probably make quite a decent team out of the players who are injured or suspended but hopefully this terrible spell of bad luck is coming to an end, giving the managers a bit more of an option.

"All teams go through it but this is as bad as I have known it. But we have not helped ourselves with the suspensions we have picked up either, our discipline has to be better.

"Having said all that the injuries look like they could be coming to an end and I think that will get everything going again. There will be more competition for places and will get the lads up and running out of the current slump."

The former Bournemouth man picked up a slight niggle in his calf in the 5-0 win over Gillingham on October 6 and, to his surprise, he has not played since.

"It was eight weeks on Saturday," he said. "I just pulled up and thought I should come off to make sure I didn't make it worse. It should not have been this long.

"I am jogging again now at least but I have been at this stage twice before and then being sent back to stage one.

"It is every footballer's nightmare. You push yourself that bit more to try and get fit but then there is the risk of doing too much.

"Hopefully I am not far away but there is no way I am going to rush it again."