Saunders backs Ebanks-Blake

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Ebanks-Blake’s career has stalled since suffering a broken leg and sustaining ankle ligament damage while in action for Saunders’ Wolves side against Birmingham at St Andrew’s in April 2013.

The 29-year-old, a two-time Championship Golden Boot winner, has struggled to get back to his goalscoring best since making his comeback from injury with fruitless spells at Ipswich and Preston, although at both clubs the form of other striker’s meant his first-team opportunities were limited.

Ebanks-Blake was reunited with Saunders this month, joining Chesterfield on a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months, and the former Manchester United trainee is already working with incoming fitness coach Mal Purchase to ensure he hits the ground running when the 2015/16 campaign begins in August.

“I know Sylvan from my time at Wolves and I know how good a player, and how good a professional, he is,” Saunders said.

“He has scored goals in the Championship and the Premier League and I’m really looking forward to working with him a again because I know we can get him back to that level.

“He was really unlucky to get injured when he did and he’s been pretty unlucky since he came back. He went to Ipswich with Mick McCarthy but Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick were banging in loads of goals and the last season at Preston the same thing happened with Joe Garner and Jermaine Beckford.

“So he’s not really had a chance and he’s not had a proper pre-season behind him either yet.

“He will this time as Mal Purchase is joining us. He is already working with Sylvan. He’s worked with Sylvan before and he knows exactly what to do with him. He’s already started with him.

“Mal has got hold of him already and come the start of the season he will be right.”

Purchase’s appointment has yet to be confirmed by the club but it has been understood for some time that he would form part of Saunders’ backroom team, having worked with the Welshman at Wrexham, Doncaster and Wolves.

Purchase has most recently been working in India with Bengaluru FC and Saunders said: “They were the fittest team in their league and we will be the fittest team in League One, I guarantee.

“Although he hasn’t signed the form, he is working with us and hopefully all that will be finalised shortly.”