Dannie Bulman is more than happy to pull his boots on again for AFC Wimbledon against his old club Stevenage on Saturday – because the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
Dons boss Neal Ardley was hoping to beat fellow promotion chasers Portsmouth on Tuesday night so he could give his veteran midfielder a rest ahead of the end of season playoffs.
But those plans look certain to be scrapped in the wake of a 1-0 defeat which leaves The Wombles two points shy of the end of season knockout phase.
However, 37-year-old Bulman would rather head for the sanctuary of battle on the field if the alternative is a seat on the bench as that would leave him at the mercy of the club’s sports scientist Jason Moriarty.
“I don’t mind playing again Saturday,” he said.
“I’d rather be out there playing than sitting on the bench to be honest.
"The sports scientist here hauls you up every 10 minutes and does my nut in so I’d rather be on the pitch running about, putting a shift in for the boys and being part of it.
“So if the gaffer can’t rest me then so be it.
“The body feels fine. I rest well and do all the right things at the right time, so hopefully I’ll be fit and fresh for Saturday, get us what we need and maybe get a rest for the last game of the season.”
For Bulman the other big plus to emerge from an otherwise disappointing night against Pompey was the return from injury of his central midfield cohort Jake Reeves.
The former Brentford man had been forced to sit out the last three games with a hamstring tweak, but brought both energy and ingenuity as a second half substitute, leaving Bulman to suggest he will once again be key in the matches ahead.
“It was one of those games where you needed to be brave and Jake got on the ball,” added Bulman. “It did not come off every time, but that is what ‘Reevesy’ is about. He tries to make things happen and the energy he has gave us all a lift.
“It is a massive plus to have him back from injury at this point.”
