'Starting to smile again' - Michael Appleton confirms injured Bradley Ihionvien making progress
Michael Appleton has revealed striker Bradley Ihionvien is starting to see "light at the end of the tunnel" after suffering a serious knee injury.
The forward, who is on a season-long loan from Peterborough United, injured his meniscus in training in October.
The 21-year-old underwent surgery, which has ruled him out for four to six months. Salop boss Michael Appleton provided an update on Ihionvien's recovery, explaining that the striker initially struggled with the injury and has not yet returned to the pitch.
He said: "He's doing alright. He struggled in the first month or so. He's never really had a serious injury.
"From an emotional point of view, it was tough for him to digest. But I think the last three or four weeks, you can see a smile back on his face. He can see possibly a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
"He's still working really hard, but he's not done any work on the grass yet. He's still in a gym-based recovery. It's still going to be a while before we see him.
"So, for him, he's just got to keep cracking on with what he's doing, listening to the medical people. All people are different, but hopefully he's one of them and he's a good healer."
Ihionvien was present at Shrewsbury Town's recent defeat to Chesterfield at the Meadow - their final home game of 2025 - where he spent time in the club shop, greeting Salop fans.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a prolific start to life at Shrewsbury, scoring two goals in his first two games. However, he struggled in subsequent matches, and his last appearance came against MK Dons on September 27, where he was replaced at half-time.
