Blackpool defender James Husband provides update on his recovery from injury

The left-back suffered the setback during Blackpool’s final home game of last season, the 2-0 defeat to Derby County at the end of April.

The 28-year-old is now back in first-team training, although Michael Appleton is likely to take it easy with the defender given he’s had no pre-season to fall back on.

“It’s going very well,” Husband told Tangerine TV.

“I got the green light to join up with the boys fully, so I’ve trained and everything is good so far. I need a few weeks to get up to speed but it’s progressing nicely.

“I’ve been running for the last six weeks, so cardiovascular-wise I’m fine. But there’s the little problem of the round ball and when everyone is running at you, that’s the issue.

“But it shouldn’t take me too long to get up to speed and back in the flow of playing week in, week out hopefully.

“With the timing of it, I was basically rehabbing all summer, which is tough and it’s been lonely at times.

“But thanks to the physios and everyone that’s helped me, I’m pretty much ahead of schedule so I can’t thank them enough for how hard they’ve made me work and it’s paid dividends.

“I had to miss my holiday over the summer because I had to work hard and this is obviously my priority, so hopefully I’ve come through the other side of it now.

“Now I’m nearly back, I’d like to think the manager is thinking ‘it’s like a new signing’. While I’m still around the place, it’s not quite the same feel.

“The way I look at it, normally the way to get the respect of your peers is the way you play, so it’s hard for me to stamp my thought in peoples’ minds when I’m not playing. But hopefully the new boys will see that soon.”

Husband is one of eight players still sidelined through injury along with Luke Garbutt, Jordan Gabriel, Doug Tharme, Richard Keogh, Kevin Stewart, Keshi Anderson and Jake Beesley.

Chris Maxwell returned from a groin issue to return to the bench against Stoke City on Saturday.