FOR one Shakers' player, Saturdays game against Cambridge United can't come quick enough, after four months in the Gigg Lane treatment room.

Goalkeeper Glyn Garner's last 90 minutes first team action was at Field Mill, Mansfield, on October 30, when he put in a fantastic display, saving a penalty and pulling off a number of fine saves to earn his side a point from a 0-0 draw.

However, the morning after, Pontypool-born Garner could hardly walk, and it was clear that there was more to the knee problem that he'd been suffering from since the Shrewsbury Town game in mid-September.

"I knew that Sunday morning that it needed to be looked at," explained Garner.

"In the end I had some cartilage taken out of the medial side of my knee as well as tears in my medial ligament.

"The problem was just getting worse and worse but that brought it to a head."

Without an experienced replacement Bury boss Graham Barrow rescued the much-travelled Andy Marriott to fill Garner's gloves on a month-to-month basis.

But this week the former Wrexham and Sunderland shotstopper moved to League One outfit Torquay United on an 18-month contract, so Garner's recovery was timed to perfection .

"Andy did very well for us and is a quality goalkeeper," added Garner, who has proved his fitness in three recent reserve games.

"It worked out well for him in the end, before he came to us he was on the bench at Colchester and now he finds himself with a good contract at Torquay.

"But it's been really frustrating watching from the stands while I've been out of the side.

"The first couple of weeks were the hardest, you find yourself rushing to get back into the team but once you realise your recovery can't be hurried you come to terms with the situation.

"It didn't help seeing the team's results suffer through David Nugent and Danny Swailes' transfers and the crop of injuries we had."

But with the club's injury situation easing the 29-year-old, who spent three weeks at the FA's Lilleshall Rehabilitation Centre, can see light at the end of the Gigg Lane tunnel.

"You need good friends and family during times like this and fortunately I have," he said.

"It's all about getting confidence back in your knee and club physios Joe Hinnegan and Ian Wilcock helped me a lot.

"Now I want to help the side get bouncing the results out like we were earlier in the season.

"We have some big players coming back for us this week and hopefully we can push on again and get up the table."

Meanwhile, Barrow has no qualms about bringing Garner back into what is a crucial game for the club.

"Glyn's attitude is spot on and there's no way he'll let us down at the weekend," he said.

"Andy Marriott was good for us in every sense of the word and he allowed us to make sure Glyn was 100 per cent fit but he had other irons in the fire.

"He would have liked to have stayed longer but knew the financial situation at the club wouldn't allow us to keep two first team keepers."