HARTLEPOOL United's walking wounded are stepping up their returns, aiming to follow Jack Ross' lead.

Ross has returned to the fray after being out for almost two months with a knee injury.

And now, with the former Clyde skipper in the Pool squad, it's the turn of Darrell Clarke and Hugh Robertson to make their mark.

Clark is close to joining in with first-team training as he returns from a knee operation, while Robertson will be the last of the three to come back as he is still being troubled by a foot injury.

The left-back has undergone an operation on his foot, but is still suffering some discomfort.

But Ross couldn't be happier now he is back in action. His cross set up Joel Porter's equalising goal in Saturday's dramatic win over Doncaster.

"Overall, I'm very pleased with things,'' he said.

"I've had my knee tidied up. It was never really right since I came here.

"I played through games, but with a little bit of pain and I felt it afterwards, but it's straightforward now.

"The rehabilition was tough, but it helped a wee bit because I had two other players with me all the way.

"My fitness was never a problem, it was just about getting over the knee injury.''

Ross' return has coincided with the arrival from Sunderland of Ben Clark.

The defender has cut an impressive figure in central defence alongside Chris Westwood, with Pool winning their last three games.

But, after making his bow as a substitute in the thumping at Peterborough on October 23, Clark could be forgiven for wondering what he had let himself in for.

"I had a bit of a baptism of fire on my debut,'' he admitted.

"It wasn't the best of games for us and the result was bad.

"From that it looked like it might be a long, hard season but we have hit back with three wins in a row and are sitting quite nicely in the league table now.

"Beating Doncaster was vital because they are in a similar position to us, but I feel that in this league anyone can beat anyone - it's wide open.

"We've won two in a row and are back in the top ten, which is nice and we've also got the LDV Trophy to come as well, so we want to go and get as far in that as we can as well.''

* Pool meet Lincoln City at Victoria Park on Saturday in the first round of the FA Cup.

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