Out-of-luck Shrewsbury Town striker Nathan Elder is vowing to defy the doctors and return to football before the end of 2010.

The 25-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his final loan game for AFC Wimbledon at the end of April.

Medical experts believe Elder could face as long as nine months on the sidelines after the forward underwent surgery 10 days ago.

But the player himself is confident he can make a faster-than-expected return to action. “My aim is to be back available in either November or December,” said Elder, who scored twice in 11 starts and the same number of substitute appearances in his opening season at Shrewsbury.

“It’s a long road back and lots of things could happen between now and then, but that is my target.

“The operation went really well. I was lucky because I had one of the top 10 surgeons in the world and he has done the same operation on a lot of really good players, including Joe Cole.

“Nathan Ring (Shrewsbury physio) has also been fantastic and with the help of the medical staff at the club, I think I can be back ahead of schedule.

“I’m on crutches for another couple of weeks and I think it will be another five weeks before I can drive.

“But the aim is to be back running again in about three months and build it up from there.

“It’s a blow because it was a chance for me to make a big impression on whoever the new manager is going to be.

“But now I have to wait even longer to do that.”

Elder is suffering his second lengthy absence in 12 months after fracturing his cheekbone and eye socket while playing for Brentford last year.

But he insists his hunger to succeed has not been diminished by his ill-fortune. “You can’t give up hope,” he added.

“These things are sent to try us and it’s a big test mentally as much as anything.

“But my target is to get back for the end of the year and I think that is achievable.”

By James Garrison