Millwall boss Gary Rowett has confirmed that midfielder Ryan Leonard is set to return to first-team training within the next two weeks as he steps up his recovery from a knee injury.

The 27-year-old has been out of action since suffering the injury during the Lions' victory over Leeds back in early October, and he has since been wearing a leg brace as he recovers from the knee ligament problem.

Leonard featured regularly for the Bermondsey outfit during the first 12 league games of the season, with the former Sheffield United man playing a key midfield role, and he now looks to be nearing a comeback under Rowett.

Speaking to London News Online, the 42-year-old confirmed the club have received positive news regarding Leonard's recovery, with it appearing that he could now feature for the first team within the next three or four weeks.

“We’ve had quite good news with Ryan. He’s been to see a specialist and is out of his brace. He should be back on the training pitch in the next couple of weeks," he said.

“He was out running yesterday and looking quite good in terms of how he is moving. We’re hoping that can be accelerated quite quickly – whether he is going to be playing after two weeks is a different matter. It depends how quickly he can get up to speed.

“He could still be three or four weeks away from playing in the first team but it’s good news that at least he is going to have a chance by the end of this month to be around the lads."

Leonard has now made a total of 11 appearances this season after impressing during his debut campaign at the club last term.

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The Verdict

It will be interesting to see where Leonard fits into Rowett's plans when he returns from his injury lay-off, particularly seeing as he looked in decent form before he picked up the injury against Leeds.

The 27-year-old has received some criticism from Millwall fans despite the fact Harris largely chose to persist with him in midfield, but Rowett's arrival now means a fresh start for the entire squad and Leonard included.

Whatever his role will be under Rowett, Leonard's return will certainly give Millwall a boost as it will see them increase Rowett's selection options, which should only serve to create healthy competition for places within the side.