Last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace wasn’t what we wanted at all but I had a small reason for encouragement after playing my first competitive game since September.

It’s hard to have any positives at all after being beaten and that’s even more true when it’s at the hands of one of your rivals but I can’t ignore how good it was to get out on the pitch for the first team again.

It’s been a long road since I fractured several metatarsals in my foot more than four months ago, co-incidentally against Palace.

We thought things were on track in November when I started running again but I was still getting some pain so our physio Erol (Umut) sent me for another scan and it showed there was still a bit of fluid around the bone.

It was a setback and meant that I had to put back on the protective recovery boot that I had only just taken off – and that doesn’t go with anything that you wear!

But my foot has been fine in a few recent reserve friendly and U21 matches that I’ve played and it felt great to get back out there at Selhurst Park, which is where I started my career. With that and the fact that I suffered the injury against Palace, I seemed to have come full circle.

This season has been markedly different to last season, when I only missed one league game.

I’ve only managed six games so far this season but I can give it a good go in the back end of the campaign.

One player I saw a lot of in the treatment room is Andy Hughes and it was great to see him play his first match of any kind for about a year on Tuesday.

It was only a private match at the training ground against Millwall but it will have meant the world to him after his problems with his Achilles.

Anyone who knows Hughesy will tell you what a great character he is and he’s fantastic to have around the squad. I benefited having him working alongside me when I was injured.

He kept my spirits up and everyone at the club is delighted to see him finally making some progress.

Next up for us on Saturday is Birmingham City at The Valley and after two defeats to follow two wins, we know we want to get three points on the board again.