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MARK Davies has passed the first crucial stage of his recovery from a serious knee injury.
Wanderers' midfield star has been sidelined since March after rupturing his cruciate ligament and sustaining cartilage damage during a game against Peterborough United at the Reebok.
Initial reports put him out until early 2014 – but the club are encouraged by how his rehabilitation has been handled to this point and have not ruled him out of playing again this calendar year.
Specialists gave him a glowing report during a recent check-up and it is hoped he may be able to undertake light duties when the club fly out to La Manga, Spain, for their pre-season training camp in the first week of July. Mark Leather, the club’s new head of sports development, says the 25-year-old playmaker is in good spirits despite suffering a nightmarish season with injuries. Davies’s knee problem came just four matches after a comeback from shoulder surgery but Leather reckons the former Wolves man is showing exactly the right attitude in his comeback bid.
“It was a bit of a kick in the teeth for him with the injury coming so close after the shoulder problem, but Mark has been diligent with his recovery so far and he is philosophical about the whole thing,” he told The Bolton Evening News.
“He recognises there is a lot still to be done but in terms of his situation right now, he is bang on target.”
After heavy interest from the Premier League last summer, a £4million bid from Swansea City was rejected in July.
Wanderers then convinced Davies to sign a contract extension until 2017 and his importance was underlined as he scored six goals in just 25 appearances over the course of the season.
Davies is now walking without crutches and able to train on the zero-gravity treadmills at the club and in the pool. But fans should not expect too much right away from the midfielder, who is still some way from a complete recovery.
“Everything is going well right now and the initial ball-park figure of six to nine months out looks achievable,” Leather said. “But there is obviously a very big difference in August to the end of November or start of December for a footballer.
“You don’t know how Mark will react when you up the ante so the plan right now is just keep doing the right things.”
One encouraging sign is that Davies has already asked the medical staff when he can return to playing golf.
“Maybe in a month or so but he will have to play the medical team first,” Leather joked.
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Wanderers' midfield star has been sidelined since March after rupturing his cruciate ligament and sustaining cartilage damage during a game against Peterborough United at the Reebok.
Initial reports put him out until early 2014 – but the club are encouraged by how his rehabilitation has been handled to this point and have not ruled him out of playing again this calendar year.
Specialists gave him a glowing report during a recent check-up and it is hoped he may be able to undertake light duties when the club fly out to La Manga, Spain, for their pre-season training camp in the first week of July. Mark Leather, the club’s new head of sports development, says the 25-year-old playmaker is in good spirits despite suffering a nightmarish season with injuries. Davies’s knee problem came just four matches after a comeback from shoulder surgery but Leather reckons the former Wolves man is showing exactly the right attitude in his comeback bid.
“It was a bit of a kick in the teeth for him with the injury coming so close after the shoulder problem, but Mark has been diligent with his recovery so far and he is philosophical about the whole thing,” he told The Bolton Evening News.
“He recognises there is a lot still to be done but in terms of his situation right now, he is bang on target.”
After heavy interest from the Premier League last summer, a £4million bid from Swansea City was rejected in July.
Wanderers then convinced Davies to sign a contract extension until 2017 and his importance was underlined as he scored six goals in just 25 appearances over the course of the season.
Davies is now walking without crutches and able to train on the zero-gravity treadmills at the club and in the pool. But fans should not expect too much right away from the midfielder, who is still some way from a complete recovery.
“Everything is going well right now and the initial ball-park figure of six to nine months out looks achievable,” Leather said. “But there is obviously a very big difference in August to the end of November or start of December for a footballer.
“You don’t know how Mark will react when you up the ante so the plan right now is just keep doing the right things.”
One encouraging sign is that Davies has already asked the medical staff when he can return to playing golf.
“Maybe in a month or so but he will have to play the medical team first,” Leather joked.
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