Jones says Notts' league standing aided injury recovery

Jodi Jones signed a two-year contract extension with Notts County just weeks before he was injured last year

Fit-again winger Jodi Jones says seeing Notts County press their claims as a promotion contender in his absence has aided his recovery.

The 27-year-old Malta international featured for the first time in more than three months when he came off the bench in Notts' 2-1 defeat by League Two leaders Walsall on Wednesday.

The loss saw the Magpies slip from third to seventh in the table.

When injured against Gillingham on 21 September, Notts were fourth having started that game at the top of the table.

"The boys have been doing well and that's helped me a lot.

"It kind of helped me through my rehab," Jones told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"We are still in a really good position in the table. If we were really struggling and not doing well, it would have been a lot tougher for me. I would have been really down."

Three wins in nine days over the Christmas period moved Notts back towards the automatic promotion spots.

A five game winless league run, which included three defeats, before that had dropped the Magpies to 11th in the table.

Notts boss Stuart Maynard says having Jones return has given "everyone a boost".

Last season the winger was voted League Two player of the season, scoring six goals and providing an English record 24 assists.

It was his first full season at Meadow Lane, having helped Notts to promotion from the National League a season earlier while on loan.

Before moving to Notts he endured years on the sidelines as he suffered three cruciate knee ligament injuries at former club Coventry City.

He complained that he needed more protection from referees after again being ruled out, although he added that the nature of the injury was "easy to take" after years of misfortune.

"If I'd done it off the ball I would have been more annoyed because that's how my previous injuries came," he said.

"When it comes from impact, it's part of the game and I had to accept it.

"If I'm honest, I did feel like it was going to happen sooner rather than later because I was getting kicked a lot and I don't think I was being protected enough. And I'm not saying I just need to be protected, a lot of our players do."