Mills relishing his chance to step in and help push Cobblers over the promotion line

Cobblers captain Joseph Mills is ready to step into the breach and play his part over the final eight games of the season following an injury to Ali Koiki.

Koiki, who signed as a free agent last summer, started 29 league games in a row after Mills fractured his ankle against Crawley Town in August.

But with Koiki himself now ruled out for up to four weeks with a hamstring injury, Mills has an opportunity to remind everyone why he started the season as Jon Brady's first-choice left-back.

The 32-year-old said: "It was a long time out from the beginning of the season to building my way back into training, but games are always different so it was nice to come in and out to start with to build that resilience in my body.

"With Ali going down with his hamstring, I've come into the team and I'm loving it to be honest. I love to play games and as a footballer that's what you want to be doing.

"The body takes a little bit longer to recover having spent so long out injured. We only have Saturday games now apart from Easter weekend and that just gives the body a little bit more time to recover and get ready to go again and put my best foot forward in every game."

With Koiki currently out, the pressure is on Mills to stay fit and find his best form as Cobblers look to finish the job and win promotion.

He added: "Being out for that long, there's always a niggle at the back of your mind - is your body going to hold up? Are the plates that have been put in going to do the job?

"You have to put that to the back of your mind very quickly. When you're thrown into a game so quickly, like against Stevenage, it's probably a good thing because you don't have time to think about it.

"You're thrown straight into a game at full throttle, leading 1-0, and for me that was a good thing. I had the game against Walsall as well and I felt good to get those minutes into my body before the game on Saturday.

"I feel stronger after each game that I play."