Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has revealed that Bradley Dack could be set to return to action for Rovers early in the New Year if everything goes to plan.

Dack has endured an awful time of it in the past two years or so with the midfielder having picked up his first ACL injury against Wigan Atheltic at Ewood Park back in December 2019. It took around about a year for him to recover from that and make a return to first-team action.

The attacking midfielder returned for Rovers partway through last season and managed to make 16 appearances in the Championship and scored three goals in the process.

Dack’s form on his return saw him rewarded with a new contract that keeps him at Ewood Park until 2023.

However, in March, Dack suffered a second ACL injury setback that has kept him on the sidelines for another prolonged period. As a result, he is yet to make a single appearance for Mowbray’s side this season.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Mowbray revealed that Dack is now back on the grass and in and around the training ground as he steps up his recovery. He suggested that the midfielder could be set to return in the New Year.

He said: “He’s on the grass now, running, he’s around the training ground every day, running up and down the pitches every day with the physios.

“He’s impacting on our team meetings, he watches the games, he has an opinion on the team and little aspects, as all the players have a right to give their opinion in the team meetings, Bradley is getting involved in that.

“It’s telling me that he’s feeling he can impact in the not too distant future.

“When I say that I think early New Year, December he might have his boots on and be joining in with the warm-ups but I wouldn’t think he would be impacting the team before the New Year.”

The verdict

This is brilliant news for Blackburn and there will not be anyone who would begrudge Dack his return to first-team action after he has endured a nightmare period in his career during the last two seasons or so.

Dack at his best is an excellent player to watch he has the ability to light up the Championship and be one of the best players outside of the Premier League in England.

Everyone in the game will be hoping that he can return to action and this time keep himself fully fit for a prolonged period because he deserves that for all the work he has put into his recovery.

The mental strength that it must have taken to come back from not one but two ACL setbacks can not be underestimated. Dack deserves enormous credit and respect for the way he has conducted himself during the last two years or so.

The atmosphere amongst Blackburn supporters will be very buoyant when he makes his long-awaited return to action and he deserves all the acclaim he will get when he steps onto the field once again.