Light at end of tunnel for McCann

The 23-year-old has played only 100 minutes of competitive football for the Clarets since initially hurting his knee against Sunderland last September (pictured, right).

A return in January was aborted after 10 minutes of the Premier League clash at Bolton - having come through the full game in the FA Cup defeat at Reading.

He finished the season with a reserve team outing, and looked in great nick at the start of pre-season, before a further setback in Singapore led to anterior cruciate knee ligament surgery.

The Dubliner had a full reconstruction, and believes the operation could extend his career.

Next Wednesday he visits a specialist for his next assessment - hoping to get the go-ahead to step up his recovery.

Brian Laws admitted earlier this month McCann is ahead of schedule, and could come into contention as early as January, and McCann said: “Hopefully when I go back to see the specialist he will give me the green light.

“Then I can come back and hopefully start jogging and doing a bit more running and kicking, and a bit more stuff out on the pitch.

“It will be nice just to get back and have a game of football, whether it’s just training with the lads or having a reserve game, just some kind of football.

“I am dying to kick a ball again.”

But while the projections are good, McCann is wary of jumping the gun, and will return when he is good and ready: “It’s been a long road but I’m still in a good frame of mind. I’m still upbeat, the end is in sight.

“I go back and see the doctor next Wednesday and once that’s over I think it will go pretty quick.

“But I don’t want to say anything at the moment, I think it’s too early.

“I don’t want to rush back, when I’m ready, I’m ready, and I’ll be back playing.

“I’m sure the gaffer understands that and is fully aware of the position I’m in because he was in it before.

“I wiill just take my time and I will feel ready, then I will be back.”

While an awful blow at the time, in a perverse way, breaking down in Singapore could prove to be something of a blessing in disguise: “Initially I thought I was okay, but when I went down in Singapore with nobody around me, that started springing a few doubts in my mind, and it needed doing.

“If ever there was an indication that something was wrong, then that was it.

“We sat down, had a talk and came to a few scenarios.

“As soon as they said I needed my cartilage doing, which was a little bit torn, they said I may as well get the full knee done, have a new knee and start again, and I’m pleased with the decision.

“Once I got my head around the fact that I needed it doing, there was never any doubt in my mind.

“I needed to say ‘this will benefit me, I need it doing and it will extend my playing career’, rather than keep on breaking down, which I had done, and which would ruin my knee the more it happened.

“Now it will probably come back stronger than my other knee, so I am just looking forward to getting back.”

McCann has been encouraged by early work on his knee, as well as being back in with his teammates, amid the banter: “I’ve been slowly getting the leg moving again in the gym for the last couple of weeks and I’ve been doing a lot of work with Ally (Beattie) and Luke (Bussey) in the physio room, just squatting and lunging and just trying to get the knee moving again.

“It’s starting to come on quite well, and the rehab is well underway.

“It’s just great to be back in among the lads because it was awful for three or four weeks when I was just told to stay away just to let the knee heal.

“To see them, get the atmosphere and get the leg going again makes me eager to get back.”

But, for the time being, he has something of a watching brief, and he hopes the squad can keep among the promotion frontrunners ahead of his return: “I think we have looked pretty comfortable in most of the games we have played.

“The lads are doing fantastic and hopefully it conmtinues. And who knows, when I’m back it might give the lads an extra boost as well, so hopefully we can kick on and get into the top six, if not automatic.”