Ruaidhri Higgins provides injury update on 'big, big player' ahead of crunch Coleraine clash
Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins is hoping to have “big, big player” Levi Ives available for Tuesday’s crunch clash against Premiership title rivals Larne.
Ives had featured in all 15 of Coleraine’s league fixtures prior to Saturday’s showdown against former club Cliftonville, but missed a Solitude return due to a groin injury.
The 28-year-old has played a key role in helping the Bannsiders move top of the Premiership table and Higgins’ men will be looking to bounce back quickly following a 1-0 defeat in North Belfast – their first league loss since October 4.
Ives won an Irish League title during his time at Larne, who currently sit one point behind Coleraine in second and have two matches in hand.
"He’s got a bit of groin trouble at the minute...we’ll see how he is for Tuesday,” Higgins told the club’s media channel. “It would have been a huge risk to play him (against Cliftonville).
"I’ve said on countless occasions that Levi is a big, big player for us and the more we have him available to us, the better.”
Coleraine defeated Larne on the opening day of the season thanks to a late Joel Cooper strike, but the Inver Reds then responded by putting together a seven-game unbeaten league run.
That was ended by Dungannon Swifts on October 4, but Gary Haveron’s side have since gone five matches unbeaten to underline their title potential.
Larne have conceded the fewest goals (six) of any Premiership team this season while only Coleraine (34) have scored more than the Inver Park outfit (26).
"It’s great that we have a game on Tuesday,” added Higgins. “We have no time to dwell on it, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.
"We’ll be in tomorrow (Sunday) morning, Monday morning to be ready and prepare ourselves for Tuesday, which is a big game.
"We’re at home in front of our own supporters and we need to show the right personality to bounce back and try to pick up three points.”