Steve Akrigg aims to be back by next season

The 28-year-old suffered a full tear of both his medial collateral ligament and his anterior cruciate ligament on December 9 in Telford's 2-1 home defeat to Welling.

He has since undergone surgery land has this week been able to start driving again as well as beginning some light work with the knee.

The former development means he will be able to return to the New Bucks Head next Saturday to watch Telford's home clash with Kidderminster, and he is hopeful of making a return to match action in time for the latter stages of pre-season.

He said: "Now I am just at the stage where I have come out of a knee brace so I am able to start driving again now.

"I haven't been able to drive for the six weeks since I had my operation so I have struggled to get down to Telford.

"But over Easter weekend I will be able to get down there for the Kidderminster game, and then they are away to Southport on Easter Monday which is fairly local to me so it won't be a problem getting there either."

Regarding the time scale for a return to match action, he added: "I am only doing light work on it at the moment and there is a long way to go.

"It is not until 12 weeks after the operation that you can start running and things like so I am still six weeks off that at the moment.

"They said it will take six months from the operation until I am ready to play matches again so that would probably put me around the end of July when the lads will probably have already had a month of full pre-season training.

"But that is just a rough time scale. Everyone is different so it just depends how I react in the earlier stages really.

"I have got to be wary but I want to get back to playing football so I will do anything in my power to make sure that my training and my rehabilitation is perfect."

Whether Akrigg's return to playing will be at the New Bucks Head next season is a matter that has still yet to be resolved though.

The former Southport stopper, who joined the Bucks on a one-year deal last summer, is one of several players who will be out of contract at the end of the season.

Akrigg said he would be open to extending his stay with the club but is not looking too far ahead.

"The most important thing at the moment is the rehabilitation side of things," he said.