Blues boss Mick McCarthy says it’s great to have midfielder Luke Hyam fit again and hopes the 23-year-old is over his injury problems having missed the final four months of 2014/15 with damaged knee ligaments.
"I just spoke to him and I just hope for him he’s OK,” McCarthy said as the squad returned to Playford Road for the start of pre-season training on Tuesday.
"He is, he’s training but it’s when you go back into that full tilt training and you start tackling and kicking the ball and blocking things when you’ve had a knee ligament problem, it’s always a worry.
"And, of course, he’s not got back to all that yet. He’s doing all his fitness work, he looks in amazing shape as he always does.
"It’ll be great for us all to have him back, he’s a great competitor. He’s one of the fittest lads we’ve got, he does it all the time, he’s terrific.”
He added: "Those ligament injuries, you think you’re OK and a ball hits you on the toe and opens your knee up again and suddenly you’re back to square one and he’s had that a couple of times.
"Hopefully, with the rest over the summer - the rest from trying to kick balls and tackling, he has still been working - will mean he’s OK.”
Hyam has made exactly 100 starts for the Blues plus 11 sub appearances, scoring three times, since making his debut at Middlesbrough on the opening day of the 2010/11 campaign.
The former Northgate High School pupil is contracted for another year with that deal including an option for another season.
Hyam and the rest of the first team squad have flown to Ireland this morning for their week-long training camp at the Carton House Hotel in Co Kildare.
The Blues open their pre-season friendly programme with a game against Shelbourne at Tolka Park on Saturday (KO 3pm). Admission will be €10 for adults and €5 students, OAPs and children. The club bar opens at 1pm.