INJURED winger Martin Aspinwall is backing his teammates to complete a successful Super League play-off mission.

The 25-year-old winger will miss his side’s final seven top-flight clashes of the season after suffering a serious injury to his right knee in the home defeat to Warrington 13 days ago.

He underwent a major knee reconstruction last week, and could remain on the sidelines for up to 12 months.

Aspinwall himself is confident he’ll be back sooner than that, and knows that if the Giants can reach the play-offs in his absence it will provide him with a massive rehabilitation tonic.

“I obviously wasn’t feeling on top of the world last week. To be told you might not be playing the game you love for up to 12 months is the last thing you want to hear,” said Aspinwall.

“I know the doctors always give you the worst-case scenario, but it still hits you hard.

“But the surgeon who carried out my operation is one of the most renowned in the country and I know I’m in the best possible hands.

“I’m going to be in a leg brace for the next three months, which isn’t going to be easy, and it was a bit of a shock to the system when it first went on, but I’m getting used to it now.

“I’ve always loved training, and I’m now pretty restricted. I’m going to try and keep working on my upper body to keep my strength up, and that will help.

“But I know I’m going to lose a lot of strength in my legs, and not being able to do the running is going to knock my general fitness back.

“To be honest, that’s not a pleasant thought, and I couldn’t really get that out of my mind at first.

“Fortunately, Sunday afternoon proved to be a great piece of therapy for me.

“Watching our game against Wakefield on teletext isn’t the greatest way of following a match, and I have to admit when we were 13-0 down at half-time my mood hadn’t lifted.

“But as the score kept on being updated and we took the lead I started feeling better and better, and when the final result came through I was delighted for the boys.

“I would have loved to have been there to see it for myself, but it was just a couple of days after my operation and it wouldn’t have been sensible.

“To be honest, the club invited me to go down to London with them this weekend and be a part of the squad for the Harlequins game.

“It was a great gesture, because it would be so easy for them to forget about me for the next few months because I can’t make a useful contribution to the cause, but I don’t think the long journey would have done me much good.

“Instead, I’m going to save myself for the home game against Catalans in a fortnight. I’m definitely going to that match, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.

“The boys have been keeping in regular contact with me and the text messages on my phone have been working overtime.

“But seeing them, and the fans, in person when we play the Dragons is something I’m already really looking forward to.

“And I’m also sure it’s a game we’ll win.

“I’m confident the boys have turned the corner with that win at Wakefield. To go to their place and win is quite an achievement, and it will have done our confidence a power of good.

“Having just gone and won at a club who are in the top six shows that we’re starting to pick up again.

“It seems all the boys are coming back into form at the same time, and Rod Jensen is proving to be a great signing.

“By all accounts, he was again in excellent form in our win over Wakefield, and has fitted in really well.

“When you look back at it, the timing of his arrival couldn’t have been any better, because of the injury to me.’’

Although Aspinwall is able to smile about the injury a little now, it was a completely different matter on the day of the injury.

The Great Britain ace tore both cruciate ligaments and the medial ligament in his right knee during the Warrington game.

And Aspinwall immediately knew the injury was bad.

“It’s hardly ideal to have two big men fall onto your knee!’’ he reflected.

“That’s what happened in the game against Warrington, and I’ve never experienced pain like it.

“I knew straight away it was a really bad one, but when our physio came on I told him there was no way I was going to leave the field on a stretcher.

“I’ve seen players have injuries similar to this before and they’ve come back stronger than ever.

“That’s what I’m determined is going to happen with me.’’