IF anyone can limit the injury problems among a small Town squad this season it's Lee Martin.

Physio and goalkeeping coach at the Galpharm Stadium, his medical duties last season involved 13 players going for operations and as many as NINE players a day needing treatment.

It was a fitness list - or lack of fitness list! - which would have derailed most clubs from the promotion track and it meant a busy first season back at his home-town club for the popular 35-year-old.

But Martin - who came back from Macclesfield and is still registered as a third senior keeper - managed to patch up enough people for manager Peter Jackson to take the club up.

And he is now reaping the rewards of 12 months of hard, detailed work by keeping almost all the senior players on the training ground.

"Apart from the usual post-match niggles we've had no serious injuries since we came back into pre-season and that's got to be good news," said Martin, who was on the bench five times last season and who has already made it this time as well.

"We did seem to spend a lot of time last year sorting various players out and I would say that three- quarters of them are probably on rehabilitation programmes - not to get them back in action but to keep them free of injury in future.

"We are putting in place strengthening programmes for all the lads which should reduce the risk of injury and, with the same objective in mind, we look at diet, massage and every aspect of looking after athletes in the right way.

"I was pleased when we went up to Middlesbrough in pre-season to note that while all their equipment is on the same site, we are doing exactly the same things for our players as Middlesbrough are in the Premiership."

Martin's daily operation reflects how physiotherapy has rapidly progressed.

"It was Andy Balderston at Macclesfield (he is now physio at Preston) who first introduced me to the value of keeping player records and programmes on computer," explained Martin.

"All the information enables me to assess exactly where each player is fitness wise, what treatments they have had, how often they have missed training and, far more importantly, why. All this helps us to keep players out of the treatment room and there can be no argument - although Boothy always argues!

"The best thing about it is that we can present the information to the players and it gives them something to work and improve on."

Martin admits the shorter summer break because of the play-off campaign has helped players maintain fitness levels, but the break was also vital to get certain players properly rested.

"When I was playing, I always felt I needed a good six weeks just to recover from the physical and mental strain of playing a full season," he said. "It's much the same now and this summer has worked out pretty well for us, with all the lads coming back strong and not too many of them visiting me on a daily basis - which is a distinct change to last season.

"Spending less time in the treatment room has given me more hours to concentrate on working with the keepers and especially Phil Senior, who likes to put in plenty of work and feel he is fully prepared.

"Trigger (Ian Gray) has not been quite so involved because of the hand injury he got at Stockport, but we have all been together three or four times a week and that's been good.

"It's hard to believe Trigger could knock the old injury in his first match back.

"Originally, it was definitely a career-threatening injury for a keeper.

"We tried the conservative approach of treatment to bring him back slowly, but the finger was so badly damaged that it eventually needed surgery.

"I suppose we could have risked him towards the end of last season, but there wasn't much point with Paul Rachubka and Phil both doing well and Trigger was pretty much focused on getting back for this season in any case.

"I would say his hand was 95% when he played at Stockport and Trigger was happy with it, so it was just incredibly unfortunate to get smacked in exactly the same place.

"He will probably be left with a finger which, in later life, will be full of arthritis and other problems and, for the moment, we will have to accept that if he gets a bad knock on it, he will be out for two or three weeks rather than one.

"The chances of a bad knock like the one he's just had, though, aren't all that great, even though he's a keeper."

Martin has no great desire to extend his Town appearance record - although it was touch and go against both Chesterfield and Hartlepool.

"If Dave Buckby hadn't been in Ireland with the Academy, then I think I would probably have been on the bench," he said. "I don't think it would have looked too good for a pro club if I'd had to go in goal and then had to pick up my bag from the back of the net to run upfield and treat somebody!"

On prospects for the season, the Linthwaite native hopes fans don't get too carried away.

"The thing to remember is that we've got a young team," he said. "They will be together, hopefully, for the next five years at least and you could easily see them playing in the Coca-Cola Championship in that time.

"For now, we have to recognise that we have stepped up to a higher standard and it's a difficult step to make.

"The important thing is to make sure we establish ourselves. If we do that, it will stand us in good stead for the future."