Shropshire Star

George Nurse targeting Shrewsbury training return

George Nurse is following in Dan Udoh’s footsteps and hoping for a return to non-contact training with his Shrewsbury team-mates before the end of the season.

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Nurse has not played for Salop since injuring his anterior cruciate ligament in Town’s game with Burton Albion back at the start of the season.

And more than four months after his operation on the injury, the 23-year-old has issued an update on his progress.

He said: “I am building my confidence back up with the running, and then you progress on to a little bit of ball work and change of direction stuff.

“Hopefully, I will be back in training at the end of this season, non-contact and building confidence, and then go away for the summer with a lot of work ready for pre-season.

“It is a frustrating injury really because you get to a point when you do feel pretty normal, now I say I feel pretty normal and I can do a lot in the gym and you want to push on a bit further, but with this injury, it is nine months and you cannot return any sooner.

“So you need to get that in your head and stick to the time frame.”

Nurse, who enjoyed such a positive start to the season at left wing-back has spoken about the support his team-mates have given him and his manager Steve Cotterill.

“I had the scan the day after the game and then the next morning the gaffer pulled me in the office and told me the news,” he continued.

“It was a bit overwhelming really I got a bit teary and a bit upset.

“The gaffer was brilliant, he put his arm around me and said everything would be fine.

“I was upset initially, but once the news settles it was just to focus on getting back.

“The gaffer has been brilliant, he keeps us in the loop, the boys are in every day and he keeps us in and around in them in the gym. They have all been brilliant.

“I am feeling good, I am trying to keep positive.

“It is going really well, I have been working hard and I am reaping the rewards now. I am feeling strong so it is progressing nicely.

“I am just over four months now post-operation. So I have done a lot of gym work and I have just got back on the pitch doing straight-line running and distance running.

“It is about just trying to get my knees used to it again.”