Cameron Burgess will be Town’s masked man at Bracknell and believes he could also be a marked man for the FA Cup first round clash with the Southern League Premier Division South part-timers.

Burgess, a likely starter as he looks to put his facial injury woes behind him, has also revealed he is set to continue wearing the protective face covering for a few weeks yet, which he believes is likely to see him targeted for Monday’s televised tie.

The big defender said: “I just know it’s going to happen. You hear about this sort of thing — ‘He’s wearing a mask, let’s target him’ — and I suppose it’s going to happen in the majority of games I play with it on.

“I’m not suggesting there will be malice and they’ll be trying to hurt me. I think it’s more a case of testing the nerve of the guy in the mask by getting him involved early on, sticking the ball into his area and seeing how he reacts.

“There may be an element of that, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a case of just getting on with it and the sooner the better. I know what to expect — it’s a football game and everyone will be looking to gain an advantage, however slight it might be.

“I’m ready for it. I’ve trained with the mask on, I’ve played with it on and I feel comfortable with it on, so now I’m ready to get going.

“I’ve been told I might have to wear the mask until round about Christmas, although we’ll see how it’s going in the next few weeks. I’ll be wearing it and obviously I’ll be monitored by the medical team from one game to the next.

“I had a bit of input into its design and which areas I was looking to protect, plus how it would affect my vision.

“There are certain requirements that have to be met and I don’t have any problem wearing it. To be honest, once I’ve got it on, I quickly forget it’s even there, and the way I play is no different to how I’ve always played.

“The metalwork that has been added under the skin on my face is going to be there forever. I’ve seen it in the x-rays and that’s me now. There are a lot of them — in the high 30s — but each one is clearly very small and it’s not too noticeable.

“As I’ve said before, it was a bit of a freak accident and I’ve not thought about it very much.

“We train every day as we play, with the same level of intensity and commitment, and I’ve been wearing it regularly without any problems whatsoever.

“I came on late at Port Vale last week, so I’ve not had many first-team minutes, but it’s been in regular use in training, and also when I played for the U21s, and I’m completely at ease with it.”

Asked how he felt when he was informed surgery would be required, Burgess responded: “I was thoroughly prepared for it. The medical staff at the club took me to the see the surgeon early the next day and I more or less knew what was coming. I’ve had operations before — on my knee many years ago now — and it’s much the same process. It’s kind of hard to forget how it works.

“I was confident everything would be okay because I had a high-profile surgeon doing the operation and he had done a number of these procedures before, which put me at ease. Once I had spoken to him and heard his thoughts, I was feeling fine about it.

“My sole focus now is on getting fit and trying to win back a place in the side. I’d like nothing more than to get back on the pitch and play regularly, and hopefully help the team to carry on getting the good results they’ve been getting while I’ve been out.

“It’s not going to be easy and it would be the same for any player coming back from injury, but I’ll be working hard to try to make it happen.”

While Monday’s tie will be the biggest occasion in Bracknell’s history, Burgess was asked whether he shared the excitement of it all. He replied: “You have to, really, because anything less wouldn’t be right from us.

“If we don’t acknowledge it’s a big game for them, the biggest they have ever played, we could get burnt.

“We don’t just have to be on our game, we have to have the same level of excitement as them, if we’re going to get the job done professionally.

“There are always cup upsets somewhere along the line and we have to make sure we’re not involved in one of them. The preparation has been right, so now it’s about the performance.”

Recalling how he sustained the injury in the 2-0 home win over Bristol Rovers, he added: “At first it was a case of ‘What’s happened?’ Then it started to get more painful and it was when I was back in the dressing room that it really hit home how bad it was and the pain got a lot worse.

“The rehab was good and the other players helped. We’re a tight-knit group, which I think you can see from watching us on the pitch, and it’s the same on the training ground and in the treatment room. It all goes hand in hand.

“Everyone is rooting for each other and encouraging the injured lads to get back to full fitness as soon as possible.”

While Town have been playing to near-capacity crowds at Portman Road this season, and can normally rely on a sizeable following on the road, it will be a very different story at Bottom Meadow on Monday, with most Town fans having to settle for the televised coverage rather than the real thing.

But Burgess said: “It will be a good occasion and I’m looking forward to it. I know there won’t be many of our own fans there, compared to the numbers who follow us up and down the country in League One, but it will be a special occasion for everyone and I’m sure the Ipswich fans who have managed to get tickets will be making themselves heard.

“We’re expecting all the tricks, with them looking to make life as difficult as possible for us. It’s going to be a different set-up to the League One venues — we’re fully aware of that — but, like I’ve said, we know what to expect and will be fully prepared for what’s coming our way.

“The preparation and approach from the manager has been no different to any other game. As I’ve always maintained, it always starts with us and how we impose ourselves on the game.

“We have done our regular prep, same as we always do. There’s been no change because it’s the FA Cup and we are going to play against a non-league team.

“It’s a big fixture for us because we want to progress as far as we can in the competition, which is something we have spoken about this week.

“We are given the same information on the opposition for every game, regardless of who they are and the competition we are playing in, so we will be fully prepared for a tie that we are all looking forward to.”

Photo: Pagepix

pennblue added 19:25 - Nov 4 Good time to stake a claim on one of those two central defensive positions.
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churchmans added 23:29 - Nov 4 In my opinion burgess is the best CB at the club! I remember when edmunson was out through injury it was a worry and loss! Then burgess came in and it was like seamless and the clean sheets start racking up! So glad he is back from his touch n go carreer threatening injury!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 05:57 - Nov 5 Burgess is one tough cookie. There seems to be no hesitation whatsoever about getting back on the battlefield after what was an extremely nasty injury. We will be stronger with his return.
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Cakeman added 06:21 - Nov 5 He has the heart of a Lion for sure as his injury was horrific. I hope he does well and I'm sure he will. Good that he received great support from the players which didn't surprise me but still nice to read.
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Saxonblue74 added 08:02 - Nov 5 The way he dealt with it on the night leaves me in no doubt that he'll deal with it now also. He's a proper tough CB who would have held his own in the 70's! It's a concern for me how regularly we see players faking facial injuries, eventually clambering to their feet dazed and confused and counting their teeth! The danger is that the genuine, horrific injuries such as CB's could go untreated for a period of time with referees unsure whether they're being conned.

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billlm added 10:24 - Nov 5 He's the dogs,left footer on the left side and puts his head in where it hurts, what's not to like,
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blues1 added 19:06 - Nov 5 Penniless. No disrespect but whens the last game you've been to? We play with 3 cbs, not 2. But agree, time for him to reclaim his place. No coincidence imo that since edmondsons replaced him, weve been conceding too many goals.
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