Barnsley will bounce back on Boxing Day, says Josh Scowen

The tenacious 22-year-old is currently sidelined with a medial knee ligament injury and watched his fellow Reds slump to a 2-0 defeat at home to Wigan at the weekend.

But Scowen has seen signs of improvement in recent weeks after a barren spell of eight straight league defeats was ended against Oldham last month.

“I think they can bounce straight back,” Scowen told The Star. “They’re a good bunch of lads and they’ll be eager to put it right and get something from the game.

“From what I’ve seen they’ve played some good stuff recently. They were unlucky at the weekend.

“Other than Saturday we’ve been playing well recently and we’ve had some good results away from home as well. Hopefully the boys can keep that up and come away with something.

“I played Bury a few times when I was at Wycombe and they’re a very strong side.

“Our aim is to go there and try and get three points if we can. Hopefully we won’t get back-to-back losses, and even if we come away with a draw I think it will be looked at as a good result.”

Boxing Day’s trip to Bury is followed by successive home games against Blackpool and Millwall. And Scowen acknowledges how influential a run of results can prove to be over the festive fixture list.

“Christmas is always a busy period,” he added.

“But it’s a good time to pick up points quickly with games coming thick and fast.

“Especially with us having two home games we’ll be looking to win both of them, and hopefully that will kick us on for the second half of the season.”

Scowen has been out of action since suffering his knee injury during the Reds’ FA Cup defeat to Altrincham in November.

And with his return scheduled for the end of January, the former Wycombe man has admitted this has been the most difficult period he has endured in football.

“This is the hardest time of my career,” he revealed. “Every footballer wants to be out on the pitch playing, and it’s just hard watching everyone else do that and knowing that I can’t.”