Injured midfielder Mark Fotheringham is still at least six weeks away a return to Peter Grant's first team plans. Fotheringham has been sidelined since City's opening home game of the season, against Southampton on August 18, after damaging ankle ligaments.

By CHRIS LAKEY

Injured midfielder Mark Fotheringham is still at least six weeks away a return to Peter Grant's first team plans.

Fotheringham has been sidelined since City's opening home game of the season, against Southampton on August 18, after damaging ankle ligaments.

The Scot faces another two weeks wearing a protective boot before he can step his rehabilitation up a gear. And on a month getting back to match fitness and it's unlikely he will be seen before the end of November.

“It will be six weeks before he is back in full training,” said Grant. “I would be delighted if he is playing any time before that.

“Two weeks in the boot and then it's getting the ankle going again. That will probably take four weeks and hopefully he'll be back for selection in six weeks time.”

Fotheringham made a good start to the season, scoring in the Carling Cup win over Barnet and then putting in an eye-catching performance between coming on as a half-time sub against Southampton and then suffering his injury.

It all followed a tough summer, when he worked hard on his fitness - too hard at times for Grant.

“The one thing about Mark is he has great enthusiasm for the game and he has a fantastic work ethic, in his preparation and his training,” said the City boss.

“It proved that in the summer time - we had to tell him to calm down because he was working too hard. He was desperate to get in the team, desperate to do well, and that is the way he has been working in his rehabilitation.

“We have missed him and hopefully after all the hard work he is putting in now and all the hard work he put in during the summer he will get his rewards, hopefully before Christmas.”