Skipper Ben Davies could be set to hand Shrewsbury Town a welcome fitness lift by returning to full training before the end of this week.

The nine-goal midfielder has spent a fortnight on the sidelines after undergoing a double hernia operation earlier this month.

But Davies is happy with the rehabilitiation and is hoping to re-join his team-mates on the training ground before the week is out.

“It’s going well,” said the 27-year-old. “I’m through all the pain part of it now so it’s just building a bit of fitness up.

“I have mainly being doing running but I was kicking balls yesterday and everything felt fine.

“Hopefully I will be back in training towards the end of the week and then I can sit down with the manager and physio and see what they think.

“If it was up to me I would be back straight away. I hate missing games and I’m just desperate to get back, but you have to be sensible.” 

Davies’ absence came at a time when he was producing some of his best form since making the switch from Chester to Shrewsbury in the summer of 2006, but he admitted there was no option other than surgery.

“I had the problem for three or four weeks and it was agony every time I played,” he explained. “I couldn’t train with it and I couldn’t kick balls without being in pain.

“The gaffer came and said he wanted me to have it cleared up and I had to have it done because I wouldn’t have lasted too much longer.

“It’s been cleared up now and I can look forward. I’ve been keeping fit and working hard so hopefully I can hit the ground running when I’m back and go through the rest of the season injury free.”

Davies is keen to build on his impressive goal scoring record as he stands on the brink of reaching double figures before Christmas.