Paul McKenna is slowly but surely stepping up his fitness following an operation to cure a longstanding groin injury.

PNE's forgotten man last pulled on a Lilywhites shirt against Cardiff City back in February, but with his rehab going well, he could be back in first team contention by the middle of October.

The Preston number 16 explained: "I'm hoping to join in with the Youth team next week and finally get back to doing some football training. The last two weeks it's come on a lot, I'm still about a month away, but it's looking good.

"They said three months from the operation, and we are two months on so altogether it will be about 12 weeks. It's seven months since my last match so it'll be nice to return to old ways.

"We had a set back a few weeks ago when I got a little minor twinge but apart from that everything has gone as it should have done, the surgeon is happy and he's told me just to crack on with it."

It has been a frustrating year for North End's longest serving player, making only 11 appearances. After his recovery was put back due to a misdiagnosis by specialists, the influential midfielder is just glad to be able to get back out on the training pitch.

Kenna continued: "It will be the general football training with the youths next week. It will break me in whilst I continue to do my strengthening work and then hopefully the week later I'll be back with the pros.

"So far I've mainly been working on the cross trainer, doing a lot of running and then in the afternoons I've been doing more football based work with shuttle runs, striking balls and things like that.

"I've always been able to do the running, it's just kicking the balls. Hopefully it won't take me long to get back to 100 per cent."

Celebrate the midfielder's comeback by purchasing a 'McKenna 16' red away shirt. Visit the club shop or buy online at MyPNE.com