Maintaining muscle recovering from injury? With Deficit?

geebusuk

I'm taking a rest from weights due to knackering a rib - also have some problems in the rotator cuff area which need a rest.
The combination doesn't leave me much options for exercises with my own Olympic setup - I have a multigym, butt it's 250 miles away! I think just picking my dog up isn't helping the ribs - he is a little over 100lb, but would warm up on a good bit more than that for squats normally.

Any suggestions on the best way to minimise muscle loss?

Ideally I'd like to take the time to lose a bit of fat, but not sure if I'll get better results keeping calorie levels up now and having a cut at a point when I can do weights vs losing more muscle now, but being back to gaining muscle when recovered.

Pub med 19130643 details how creatine can help, at least if you've got an arm in a cast.