Steve Lomas is not expected to play until November - but John Green
says the news is not a set back.
Although an earlier return to action for the club skipper was originally mooted, the new target does not represent anything that overly concerns the physio - or Steve himself.
Explains John:
"What has happened is that Steve and I were misled a little bit about the timespan that he was expected to be out for following his operation.
"The specialist had told us that he could start running and when he began to, the knee didn't feel very good.
"Consequently, everyone felt a little bit pessimistic about the future.
"But then we sought a number of opinions and the goal posts seem to have been moved a little bit.
"We are now being told that rather than the expected four to six months return, a more realistic post operative return is about eight months.
"So when you consider that, Steve is doing exceptionally well to be at the stage he is at; he is only half way through the rehab period of time that the surgeons are now telling us is right.
"We have had opinions from some very eminent people and they have re-scanned him and re-examined him.
"Everyone is of the opinion that the knee is good and that the operation was a success.
"The only variable is that he is out longer, and in discussions with other players that have had the operation, they have said they were out for seven to ten months.
"Six months was a little bit premature, so that is what we have been a little bit unhappy about.
"But now that has been resolved and we know where we are heading, everything is looking confident again."
Steve will soon continue his rehab abroad, and John reveals:
"He is going to go out to Canada for an intensive three to four period in Vancouver of rehab on the knee.
"He will then resume running and hopefully it will be plain sailing after that.
"I think it has been a bit of a lift rather than a setback because we had a period of time where we were thinking 'if he is expected to play in six months we are miles away'.
"That was making us believe something was wrong, but when you suddenly get another two months things became a heck of a lot more rosy.
"And we have spoken to other people, and that has reassured us a lot.
"You are looking at him getting back into the team about November - seven or eight months from April, when the operation was done.
"If you are looking more realistically you are looking at eight months we can introduce the running at a slightly later date.
"The physio he is going to see works with the Canadian soccer team and he knows a lot about the rehabilitation of professional footballers.
"It's no good saying 'I did this to a rugby league player or a skier' because at the end of the day they don't play midfield in the Premiership.
"That's why you need analogies from your own sport, and this will enable us to get that."
Although an earlier return to action for the club skipper was originally mooted, the new target does not represent anything that overly concerns the physio - or Steve himself.
Explains John:
"What has happened is that Steve and I were misled a little bit about the timespan that he was expected to be out for following his operation.
"The specialist had told us that he could start running and when he began to, the knee didn't feel very good.
"Consequently, everyone felt a little bit pessimistic about the future.
"But then we sought a number of opinions and the goal posts seem to have been moved a little bit.
"We are now being told that rather than the expected four to six months return, a more realistic post operative return is about eight months.
"So when you consider that, Steve is doing exceptionally well to be at the stage he is at; he is only half way through the rehab period of time that the surgeons are now telling us is right.
"We have had opinions from some very eminent people and they have re-scanned him and re-examined him.
"Everyone is of the opinion that the knee is good and that the operation was a success.
"The only variable is that he is out longer, and in discussions with other players that have had the operation, they have said they were out for seven to ten months.
"Six months was a little bit premature, so that is what we have been a little bit unhappy about.
"But now that has been resolved and we know where we are heading, everything is looking confident again."
Steve will soon continue his rehab abroad, and John reveals:
"He is going to go out to Canada for an intensive three to four period in Vancouver of rehab on the knee.
"He will then resume running and hopefully it will be plain sailing after that.
"I think it has been a bit of a lift rather than a setback because we had a period of time where we were thinking 'if he is expected to play in six months we are miles away'.
"That was making us believe something was wrong, but when you suddenly get another two months things became a heck of a lot more rosy.
"And we have spoken to other people, and that has reassured us a lot.
"You are looking at him getting back into the team about November - seven or eight months from April, when the operation was done.
"If you are looking more realistically you are looking at eight months we can introduce the running at a slightly later date.
"The physio he is going to see works with the Canadian soccer team and he knows a lot about the rehabilitation of professional footballers.
"It's no good saying 'I did this to a rugby league player or a skier' because at the end of the day they don't play midfield in the Premiership.
"That's why you need analogies from your own sport, and this will enable us to get that."