Bruce: Tough call over Camara
Steve Bruce is set to decide Henri Camara's Wigan future during pre-season.
The Senegal striker returned to training with Latics last week after spending the majority of last term on loan at West Ham.
Bruce confessed he thought Camara had left the club
permanently having come to the end of his contract, but his deal has
another year to run.
So it's decision time for the Latics boss, whether to try to sell him or have him as a member of the first-team squad this season.
Camara is a player Bruce does rate, particularly with him scoring 12 goals in his first season at the JJB Stadium.
But the 31-year-old is also a high earner and if he's not going to be a regular, it would make financial sense to sell.
Bruce said: "It's a difficult one regards Henri.
"I have to be honest, I didn't realise he was coming back to us. I thought he had gone.
"But he's part of the squad and I'll sit down with him over the next few weeks to see what his plans are.
"He got 12 league goals in his first season here which takes some doing in the Premier League, that shows he has something.
"Whatever has happened since, it's gone a bit sour for him.
"I don't know what went on – it was before I came – maybe he fell out with someone?"
It was his late return from the African Nations Cup in that first
season which probably left the sour taste, Camara failing to rediscover his form since then.
Bruce spoke this week of the importance of putting together a high calibre forward line, Emile Heskey, Antoine Sibierski, Marlon King and Camara are on the books.
Click next page for more ...Throw Amr Zaki into the equation once that particular transfer saga is completed, and perhaps Andy Johnson, and suddenly the squad is looking a bit top-heavy with front men.
So Camara's future could rest on Bruce's success or otherwise in the transfer market over the coming weeks.
Read what you want into it, but he's lost his No.7 shirt, with centre-half Paul Scharner now in possession of it.
Marseille have been tracking Camara (right) but a move to the South of France doesn't appeal because of the drop in salary he'd have to take. Whatever has gone on, Camara's return to Latics has been greeted with an icy welcome, but it's nothing to do with anyone at the club giving him the cold shoulder...
The reward for the Latics players getting themselves through a
gruelling, hard running training session is to be plunged into ice-cold water!
Three inflatable pools greet the squad as they come off the pitch at Christopher Park, all filled to the brim with cold water and thousands of ice cubes.
The players have to spend five minutes waist-down in the water which helps their muscles make a speedy recovery from the intense training sessions.
Generally the air turns blue as they lower themselves in, teeth
chattering as the coaching staff time their freezing dip.
Latics' medical staff hope it will cut the number of niggling injuries sustained during pre-season, allowing the players to get through the whole programme.
Last season, a thigh injury picked up by Antoine Sibierski in the first week of training went on to hamper his fitness throughout the campaign.
The plunge pool treatment will continue during the Austrian training camp.
Email to a friend
Print this page Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Local pages
Looking for a...
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wigan
Thursday 02 September 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
