IAN Evatt has supplied an update on Liam Edwards’ fitness as the centre-back continues on the comeback trail following a serious knee injury.

Edwards, 24, has not played for the Whites since the end of January last year when he fractured his kneecap in a training ground collision.

He has recently returned to light training duties after some corrective surgery to remove a screw inserted in the bone of the knee which was causing discomfort.

Evatt explained: “Liam had a second op in January and is still feeling some pain in his knee, which isn’t ideal,” he said. “We’re hoping it is just the mechanics getting used to running again. The knee glides in a particular way and sometimes when you have had major surgery it can take a while to build up the tolerance levels again.

“He’s back on the grass and running. He’s improving, albeit slowly.”

Harry Brockbank was also involved in the practice game organised against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday, with Evatt admitting the defender looked sharp on his return from a groin strain.

“The best thing I can say about Harry is that when I was at the game he looked like a first team player playing Under-23s football,” he said. “And that’s a good example of how you should go about your work when you are not in the first team and playing with younger players.”

Wanderers have a clean bill of health after the midweek win against Oldham and had the luxury of bringing the likes of Kieran Lee and Eoin Doyle off in the second half at Boundary Park.

“It’s perfect, really, no issues,” he said. “The only two injuries we have at the moment are the two long-term ones, Liam Edwards and Dennis Politic.

“We were able to rest a couple of players in midweek because the game was pretty much over in the first half. In fact it was the first time that bringing the subs on really halted our momentum rather than increasing it but the game was done and dusted and everyone knew that in the stadium so it made it a bit of a strange second half.”