MICHAEL Doyle was gutted to miss two of the biggest games of Morton’s season against Falkirk and Dundee United — and says he would’ve traded his starting slot against Rangers to have played in them.

Doyle picked up a knock at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup tie last month and has missed the two fixtures since.

The defender admits he would rather have missed the cup tie against the Glasgow giants if it meant he’d be involved in what he described as two of the ‘most important games of the season’.

He told the Tele: “I’m still nursing [my injury] a wee bit, not quite back to 100 per cent yet. I was back in training last week, back in again this week and was on the bench last Saturday. But it’s getting there.

“I was always looking at the fixtures list after I got injured against Rangers and thinking ‘right, what game can I be back for?’ It’s a big pile-up of massive games.

"I would probably rather not have played the Rangers game, not gotten injured and played in the two big games against Falkirk and Dundee United.

“Those are more important to our season. The cup is a bonus but injuries you just have to deal with, I suppose.”

Doyle had originally set himself the target of returning at Tannadice last weekend.

He returned to the bench, but was content with boss Jim Duffy’s decision to leave him out after a late fitness test — conducted by Duffy himself.

He said: “Before the game this weekend [against Hibs] had been rearranged, we didn’t really know what was going to happen. So I pushed myself to be back for the Dundee United game because I thought that would’ve been a massive game, which it was.

"I did a wee bit of training myself with the gaffer last Saturday and he kind of puts you through his own fitness test where it’s 50/50s with you and him.

“But after two weeks out you need to get your sharpness back up. I’d only trained one day so the gaffer used his squad well. Jamie McDonagh is a great player and playing well at right-back, so the gaffer made that decision.”

The Morton squad had a free weekend and Doyle believes it gave him and some other key players much needed extra recovery time.

Asked if the weekend came at a good time, he replied: “Definitely. When you look at the injuries we’ve had throughout the season and the pile up of games, a wee weekend off is good. 

“You have myself, Gary Oliver and Jamie Lindsay out so I think the gaffer will be glad that a couple of the games have been moved about.

“The boys won’t be too sluggish when we’re back, the gaffer will work us hard and next week we’ll be back to business.”