NEW Town striker Tommy Mooney is prepared to play through the pain barrier in order to make his debut against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

The 31-year-old forward has missed much of Swindon's pre-season build up due to a foot injury, but after coming through his first training session unscathed yesterday Mooney confirmed he is winning the race to be fit for the big kick-off.

"The injury is coming along okay," said the former Birmingham man.

"I trained for 10 or 15 minutes today, I'll have a rest day and then I'll have Thursday and Friday to prepare ahead of the weekend.

"I'm hoping my chances of starting on Saturday are good.

"As we stand now I'm very optimistic but It's down to the manager whether I play."

After sitting out the majority of Town's friendly programme, Mooney admits it will be a few weeks before he is firing on all cylinders.

But he believes that a less than 100 per cent fit Tommy Mooney can still do the Wednesday rearguard some serious damage.

He said: "I've only trained for two weeks out of six, but Sheffield Wednesday is a massive game and I want to take part in it.

"It is going to take four or five games to get any sort of real fitness because I've only played two 45 minutes in pre-season.

"For me personally, I know it's going to take half a dozen matches to get back to my best.

"But I've played lots of games when I've been less than 100 per cent fit, all footballers have. You have to be sensible though if it wasn't right I wouldn't play."

Boss Andy King was more cautious when assessing Mooney's fitness.

"I still can't make a decision on Mooney," he said. "I can play Grant Smith there but he isn't a natural striker and Brain Howard likes to play there but he isn't a natural striker either.

"So my only other options are Jon Stevenson and Alan Young and they are very similar."

If Mooney is anywhere near fit by the weekend, King dropped a big hint that the striker would take his place alongside Sam Parkin in the Town frontline.

"I think physical presence is very important in this division," said King.

"Stevenson and Young I expected to come through to learn their trade and support Parkin and Mooney and perhaps play a major part later in the season.

"Sheffield Wednesday is a bit earlier than I expected."

Midfielder Sammy Igoe also remains a worry ahead of Saturday following a bout of food poisoning at the weekend.

But the summer signing from Reading returned to training yesterday and should be fully recovered to take his place in the Town team for the season's opener.