Gillingham striker Josh Andrews is in light training but no definitive timescale has been put on his injury recovery.
Assistant coach Robbie Stockdale has updated fans on the progress of Andrews and his injury status – over a month since the big striker joined the Gills from Birmingham City.
Andrews briefly appeared for the B Team and scored a goal too but an injury set him back. He had been on the brink of declaring himself ready for first-team action for Gillingham after a hip injury that he picked up on loan at Accrington in early December.
Stockdale admits fans are going to have to wait a little longer to see him make his competitive debut.
The coach said: “Josh is doing some individual work on the grass with the medical and sports science team, which is great to see, but I wouldn’t expect to see Josh for another week and a half, two weeks. We have to be careful with him.
“He’s had one little setback, we have to be respectful of where he has come from in terms of his injury and make sure that when he does return to play, to be fair to him, that he is fully up to speed and that is ongoing.
“It is a week, by week process. It is great to see him running on the grass, he’s doing light ball work, we want him back available as quickly as possible but not to put the boy at risk as well.
“He is coming back off the back of what’s turned out to be a lengthy injury and unfortunately he picked up a little strain in the B Team game so we would hate to think we rush him back and lose him again.
“He is working really hard to make himself available as quickly as possible.”
Stockdale didn’t want to put a definitive time on the striker’s return, only that they were confident he would be in action before the end of the season.
He said: “If I say week x and he comes early it sound like I’m lying and if he doesn’t come back then there is pressure on him, saying why he hasn’t come back.
“The worst thing people can hear is that we have to be patient with him and if it is shorter than what we expect then brilliant, if it takes a tiny bit longer then we will live with it as that’s the best thing to do.
“There is frustration from us as a club but you have to feel sorry for the player as well, he’s come to a new environment, a new club, everyone wants to make a good first impression and unfortunately on the pitch he’s not been able to do that.
“Around the place he is in every team meeting, we are keeping him up to speed with what we expect from that position, the players have taken to Josh well.
“He’s a great lad but nobody is going to be more frustrated than him. We need to protect him a little in terms of not rushing him back but if we can get him back sooner than later that would help everyone.”
Andrews wasn’t involved in the B Team game on Wednesday against Watford which ended in a goalless draw.
George Lapslie, meanwhile, has trained and he’s back in contention for selection after missing the last four games.
Stockdale, taking the pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend game with Tranmere, also addressed the unsavoury row between team-mates Remeao Hutton and Conor Masterson on Tuesday.
The pair clashed towards the end of the game and both players ended up getting a booking as arms were raised.
Stockdale insists the matter has been dealt with.
“It was dealt with straight away,” he said, echoing comments of the head coach on Tuesday night.
“It does show that players care and there is passion but being honest I didn’t like what I saw, I don’t think it’s right.
“I understand it, as frustrations were running high, and it was dealt with straight after the game, no issues.
“You don’t win anything with angels and I certainly don’t expect our players to be angels all the time. I didn’t like what I saw, the players have been told and a line was drawn under it straight away.”
