Kenny Dougall is disappointed to miss out on the Asian Games but is glad he will get to play for Barnsley in January.
The 25-year-old Australian was the Reds’ first signing after relegation from the Championship when he joined from Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam in late July.
He was one of the star players in the early months of the season before being injured at Shrewsbury Town in late October and missing two months. He has played in the last four matches, two off the bench and two from the start.
Dougall was called into the Australia squad twice early in the season but is yet to make his international debut.The Socceroos are now at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates which begins tomorrow and Dougall was injured when the squad was selected.
He said: “On a personal note it was disappointing to miss my chance at a major international tournament and I would have loved to go. But, at the same time, I would have missed a big part of Barnsley’s season and I am here now and I have job to do for the club for the rest of the season.”
Dougall’s injury at Shrewsbury came after a strong early tackle from Anthony Grant as the physical home side seemed to target Barnsley’s playmaker.
He said: “It’s something you always expect to get and it is going to happen to me. Physical tackles are part of football but the one that put me out wasn’t the best tackle. It’s just one of those things and you have to get on with it.”
Barnsley were two points off the top two with a game in hand when Dougall got injured. Now the gap is six.
“It’s been fantastic to be back. Being injured for a few months is not great but the team has done well without me. We are aiming for the top two and we won’t give up on that. We have been struggling to hang on at times but the last few games have given us confidence.”
In Dougall’s absence, Cameron McGeehan has impressed alongside Alex Mowatt in central midfield. The three have played together in the last two weeks but, when Kieffer Moore returns from injury, head coach Daniel Stendel is likely to use a 4-4-2 in some games – meaning he may drop one of the central midfielders.
He said: “Cam has done really well and scored a few important goals. For him personally, not playing much at the start of the season must have been frustrating because he’s a good player. “It’s up to the gaffer which formation he uses and which of us he plays.”
