Ross MacIver on injury 'hell' and why he's behind Gary Oliver for Falkirk striker starting spot

The striker, 25, was forced off after scoring the Bairns’ opener against Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup last month, with an initial eight week spell out of action expected.

But he has managed to shake off his injury in just over month, returning to the pitch as a substitute during Falkirk’s 2-1 win over rivals Dunfermline Athletic last Saturday.

"Fitness-wise, I haven’t been able to do that much and I was feeling it for sure,” he said.

"But I would rather be on the pitch than watching from the stands. The last five weeks was hell.

“It was one of them at the time – I was actually playing on with it after scoring because of the adrenaline.

"Even after the second half, I came out fine but after ten minutes I knew something wasn’t right. “You come off 2-1 up at Celtic Park thinking ‘what a night out this could be if we hold on’ but it wasn’t to be.

“Credit to the medical team. I have done so much work with them. I was naive thinking off the bat that I would be out for a week or so.

"When I heard up to eight I ‘no chance’ I can wait that long. There is a wee bit to go for me fitness-wise.”

Falkirk now host Greenock Morton this Saturday as they look to increase their four-point advantage at the top of the table.

And many expect MacIver to come straight back into the starting eleven up top – but the man himself says Gary Oliver is currently infront of him in the pecking order.

He added: “The boys have been unbelievable since that match. I’ve been so impressed.

"Even in the games that we didn’t win, I thought our best performance was against Partick Thistle. “The competition for places at this club is crazy. You don’t win leagues if you don’t have that.

"Gary has come in and been brilliant. He is playing a role that isn’t his own but I think he has been sensational. The way he drops in and links everything up.

“If we are winning games of football then I don’t care who is scoring the goals.”