Return of The King! Sunderland ace Chris Maguire itching to make big impact in automatic promotion battle

Chris Maguire fractured his leg in the win over Gillingham back in February.

The forward has been out since February 19 after suffering a leg fracture in the 4-2 win over Gillingham but he is set to make his return to the matchday squad against Doncaster Rovers on Good Friday.

Maguire has trained all week and is raring to go, with the battle for automatic promotion set to go down to the wire.

Sunderland’s 5-4 defeat at the hands of Coventry City saw them slip out of the top two and the Black Cats are now third behind Barnsley with Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic in strong contention for a top two spot.

Just three points separate the Tykes in second and Charlton in fifth.

Ahead of the visit of sixth-placed Doncaster Rovers to the Stadium of Light on Good Friday (KO 5.15pm), Maguire is relishing the chance to make an impact.

“I’ve had a bit of time out of the team and like any footballer it’s never an enjoyable time,” Maguire told the club website.

“You want to be playing and having your say. I’ve always backed myself to go out there and prove to people that now’s my chance.

“The injury was tough to deal with, but the recovery process has been a bit different.

“It’s felt quick at times and slow at other times, but if I’m honest I’m just glad to be back on the grass and kicking a ball again.”

“It’s a tough run-in and that’s now even harder because of the last two results.

“We’re disappointed with how they’ve panned out because we’d like to have a bit of a bonus on other teams.

“That isn’t the case, although, we do have a game in hand over Barnsley.

“At the end of the day, it is in our hands. We know if we win all five games, we know what the outcome is going to be.

“It is a five-game season. We have to take one game at a time. We have got the players, the belief in the changing room and the support that can back us and push us on.

“I thought on Saturday watching the game the support was brilliant. They made a real noise, but that needs to continue against Doncaster Rovers.”