Veteran midfielder Cole Skuse says he can see the finishing line as he continues his recovery from the knee operation he underwent in September.
The 34-year-old is yet to play a game during 2020/21 having suffered what initially appeared an innocuous injury in pre-season.
"I’m feeling really good,” Skuse told the club site. "Pandemic aside, it’s been challenging with the injury because it’s a period in my career that I’ve never gone through before.
"It was a freak injury in the sense that we were doing some shape training and I took a slip and an awkward fall and I sat through my knee really awkwardly.
"I sat out of that session, but tried to carry on for a couple more weeks after, but I had to dip in and out of sessions as it [the knee] kept swelling up.
"I then went for an operation. I expected it to be a small routine operation, but it ended up being a lot more than any of us anticipated, and it’s now been four months.
"It’s the longest injury in my career by quite some way. In the past when I’ve had injuries that have seemed quite serious and substantial, I’ve always come back quite quickly.
"Whereas this one, I had to follow the book with the repair, but I can see the finishing line now.”
Skuse, who signed a one-year deal with an option for a further season last May, is now back on the training pitch with sports therapist Tom Walsh and is nearing his return to working alongside his team-mates with thoughts of retirement still a few seasons away.
"I’m back on the grass, running and doing multi-directional work with Walshy. Without putting a timeframe on it, it’s nearing completion and then I’ll be looking to get back training with the lads.
"Even doing the individual work with Walshy next to the lads who are training makes you feel so much closer.
"I feel I’ve got a part to play this season and from my own personal point of view, I want to play on for at least another couple of years.”