KYLE BENEDICTUS has backed defensive colleague Malachi Fagan-Walcott to have a bright future in the game after being impressed with his performances in a Pars shirt.

The club captain has also welcomed the return of several key players for the final run-in as Dunfermline look to maintain their promotion play-off hopes with four games to go.

Benedictus will lead his Pars pals at Airdrieonians this weekend, who currently occupy fourth spot in the Championship and the final play-off place, bidding to extend their unbeaten run to five matches.

The 32-year-old believes the easing of injuries that have plagued the Athletic squad has come at the ideal time, and has praised the impact of on-loan Cardiff City centre back Fagan-Walcott.

Since arriving in January, the 22-year-old has played 12 times for James McPake's side, and Benedictus has been impressed.

Dunfermline Press:

"Malachi has been unbelievable," he said.

"When I was injured I could see watching from the stands how good a player he is. Playing with him, he is very composed, rarely gets beat in the air. He is very young and has a very good opportunity in the game.

"I think when you see the squad now, even if you're at 60 or 70 minutes, the boys you can bring on now, we didn't have that luxury a couple of months ago. We were going with the same eleven boys and there wasn’t much coming off the bench, so it’s nice to have a fit squad, and it's probably the best time in the season to have that."

Benedictus has played in each of Dunfermline's last five outings, having only made 10 appearances this season prior to those due to injuries.

His return against Raith Rovers last month was his first game since an away trip to Ayr United to end 2023, when he suffered a second thigh problem, and he continued: "I feel fine and sometimes I'm getting a bit more treatment from the physio, a couple of rubs that I’m not used to.

"He has been telling me that I need to get some treatment from that and do my rehab, which I have been doing. I feel good that’s the main thing.

"The first time I did it, and when I did it again, it wasn’t the same injury. My muscle was the first one but it went to my tendon in the same leg. That’s what the problem was and I had to see a specialist in London just to make sure. He said that he was confident I’d probably come back this season at some point.

"How many games I’d get, he wouldn’t know, but I managed to comeback three weeks less than I should have been. I probably should have been coming back about now. I am happy to get these extra games under my belt and try and see out the season for how many games that is.

"A lot of players will tell you when you have been out for a long time, when you go out there you don’t know what to expect. It sometimes gets into your head, what if something else happens? I am not that type of individual - I just play the game as I see it."