Preston North End boss Alex Neil has revealed that more patience will be required with Louis Moult as he looks to return from a brutal knee injury picked up in 2019.
Moult was picked up in January 2018 by the Lilywhites from Scottish side Motherwell, after a prolific spell saw him score 38 goals in 84 league outings.
The striker hasn't had it all his own way at PNE, scoring just six times in 34 outings in his first season-and-a-half with the club.
But disaster struck on the third weekend of the 2019-20 campaign, as Moult went down unchallenged in a heap in North End's away clash with Swansea.
A cruciate ligament injury to his knee meant that Moult's season was basically over before it began, but no-one really expected him to still be out of action almost 18 months later.
Moult has had two further small operations to clean his knee up since his initial surgery, but he's finally back out on North End's training pitch.
It still may be a while until PNE fans see him in action again though - if at all for their club.
“He’s been on the grass regularly but with being out for such an extended period, he has to be handled with care," Neil said in his pre-Huddersfield press conference, per the
Lancashire Evening Post.
“We’ve got to make sure there are no setbacks with him.
“Louis has made the best progress now than at any other time previously, he is in a better place now.”
The Verdict
Whilst it is promising news for Moult, the fact of the matter is that he's out of contract at the end of the season at Deepdale, and considering he's missed 18 months of action and he wasn't exactly prolific before his injury, he may not be in-line for a new deal.
And that would be a real shame. Moult definitely has that predator instinct inside the box, but probably lacked a bit of pace and physicality to get the better of the top Championship defenders.
Despite not really being a top-end second tier striker, Moult is a fan favourite at PNE due to his effort levels and his interaction with supporters, and it will be shame if he doesn't end up getting one more runout in the Lilywhite jersey before his contract expires.
