Stephen McGinn has admitted there are “dark days” during his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury but has thanked his Watford team-mates and manager Malky Mackay for helping him “keep going”.

McGinn suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury against Doncaster Rovers at the end of February and is expected to be out until at least Christmas.

The former Scotland Under-21 international had his second operation two weeks ago and was still sore when he spoke to the Watford Observer on Saturday, after a procedure which involved a lot of “tugging and battering”.

McGinn remains on crutches but continues to do rehabilitation work at the training ground and can often be seen sitting in the East Stand during home matches.

“It is just good to be around the squad again,” McGinn said. “They are a great bunch of lads and the banter is usually flowing so I enjoy getting in and although I miss out on the training and it is hard watching them go out to train, I do enjoy coming in and they do keep me going.”

He continued: “I still come in and I will get treatment, plenty of ice on my knee as it is still pretty swollen. I have treatment with the physio and then I will go to the gym and do upper body work.

“It is good to be about the place. When you are stuck in the house all day that is when the dark days come, so the boys here treat you like you are still fit and it is a good place to work.”

McGinn also thanked his manager after the former centre-half used his own career as an example of how his fellow Scot should return to have a successful career.

McGinn said: “It was an injury Malky had when he was younger at Celtic so he was quickly on the phone to reassure me that he came back from it and had a 15-year career after that. So that is pretty reassuring.”

The severe knee injury came seven weeks after McGinn had returned from a fractured cheek bone and eye socket, which he suffered against tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) opponents Queens Park Rangers.

The likeable McGinn, who has made 42 appearances for the Hornets since his move from St Mirren, was upbeat when he spoke to the Watford Observer after the Barnsley victory but the 22-year-old has found it difficult being on the sidelines.

McGinn said: “I find it extremely tough because before my check bone injury at QPR, I had never been injured so those three or four weeks were awful. I found it really tough.

“So to then get hit with a serious one not long after, for someone who has not had to deal with it before, I found it hard. It is part and parcel of the game though.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t happen of course but it was always likely to happen at some point and hopefully I will be stronger for it.”