Derry City manager Dermot Keely will "wait and see" before deciding whether veteran striker Liam Coyle will start the Uefa Cup clash with APOEL Nicosia at the Brandywell on Thursday evening.
Keely has tried his best to start Coyle at every opportunity since taking over from Kevin Mahon last month.
Last Friday evening, against Waterford United, the Derry boss opted to pair the talisman Coyle with recent signing Michael Holt in the Candystripes attack, keeping formerly first-choice front man Gary Beckett in reserve.
But the Derry boss called Coyle ashore just three minutes into the second half, and admits that the veteran’s creaking joints may not allow him to partake in every match.
So Keely will wait until just before Thursday’s Uefa Cup qualifying round second leg against Nicosia to decide whether Coyle is better used from the start or from the bench.
He told the Sunday People: "I’d love to have him involved against Nicosia but we’ll wait and see. We’re talking about a guy who has had a few long-standing injuries and he needs a bit more time to recover than other guys.
"We’re also talking about a legend here. He’s earned the right to tell me if he needs a rest if that’s the case. So far I’ve left it up to him and he’s never shied away from the challenge."
