STEVE Elliott hopes to be fit to press for a recall to the Bristol Rovers side for Saturday's home game against Leyton Orient.

But the defender knows he can't take anything for granted after Rovers claimed their first two clean sheets of the season in his absence.

The former Derby County player – a key man in Rovers' back line over recent seasons – was forced off just five minutes into the last home game against Crewe with a dead leg injury, which kept him out of contention for last week's win at Colchester United.

"Last weekend came a bit too soon because it was still sore. It needed time to settle down so it didn't become worse, but I hope to be back in training this week," said Elliott.

"Danny Coles passed to me but the ball was a bit behind me so I had to stretch for it – I thanked him for that afterwards!" said Elliott. "It was a case of two big lads going for the ball and unfortunately we both came out of it injured.

"Normally you can run an injury like a dead leg off and you won't feel too stiff after the game. But I knew this was a bad one because I could feel nothing in my leg, so it was best that I came off."

Craig Hinton has done an admirable job in his absence and Elliott admits that he can't be certain of a recall after two shut-outs in a row.

"It's been playing on my mind," admitted Elliott. "We changed formation against Crewe and went a bit more defensive to stop conceding goals. It was just unfortunate I went off in the fifth minute. It's looking OK now and we seem to be more solid – I just hope I can get back in the team."

That switch has seen skipper Stuart Campbell operating just in front of the back four, a ploy which has stifled the opposition in the last two outings.

"We played a lot of attacking football early on in the season which maybe left us a bit exposed, but I think we are all learning as we go along about the system we want to play," said Elliott.

"We've normally played a set 4-4-2 but we brought players in over the summer who are more attack-minded so Stuart has had the job of sitting back to protect the back four.

"We've tweaked it and at the moment it's working, so hopefully it will continue to do so."

Elliott's injury is one of many that Rovers have suffered defensively this season.

"Colesy and Joe Jacobson both got injured in pre-season so we have had Aaron Lescott, who is a right-back, playing on the left. Ryan Green came back from injury but then aggravated his hamstring so it's been a bit stop-start for the back four," added Elliott.

"Hopefully when everyone is fit we can start firing. We haven't started the season well and that's been the case since the first season I came here.

"I don't know why it is, but it seems to take us a couple of months to get into the season and then we start picking up points. Hopefully that time is now."