BRENDAN Elliot will make his long-awaited Leigh debut on Sunday insisting there are no mental scars from his nine-month injury absence.

Aussie playmaker Elliot is expected to face Huddersfield Giants at Leigh Sports Village, raring to go after a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained on NRL duty for Manly Sea Eagles last August.

And his appearance will be a boost for John Duffy as the head coach attempts to mastermind his team’s first win since regaining its Super League status.

“It has been a bit longer than I was hoping,” said Elliot, 27, of his comeback game.

“I have been ready for a few weeks; it’s just been about the timing of it all.

“The knee feels really good and I have been doing reps and reps and reps on the training paddock. “It’s just about building the confidence going into a game.

“The more times you do something the better you are going to feel. So, I will be fine.”

Elliot has been a frustrated spectator since his arrival but was taken aback by home support on Monday as Centurions slipped to a 30-16 by 2020 Grand Final runners-up, Wigan.

“It’s been hard because I am pretty much helpless on the sidelines,” he agreed. “It’s not a nice place to be.

“But the atmosphere was unreal I was very impressed by the atmosphere the fans were able to create and the songs they were singing."

“I am really looking forward to playing in front of something like that.”

Leigh entertain a Giants’ side buoyed by their 26-20 win at Warrington, a victory that lifted Ian Watson’s side to eighth.

Centurions sit bottom, winless from six Super League outings plus a Challenge Cup exit at the hand of this weekend’s visitors.

Skipper Liam Hood was diagnosed with a hip problem after the game but further assessment indicated the Scottish hooker had suffered more of an impact injury with no real damage.

Leigh lost 36-18 against the Giants in the cup last month with Jermaine McGillvary scoring a hat-trick for the visitors.

“We have got to keep working hard but I have seen a change in us since the week off,” said Duffy. “But we need to be smarter for longer.”