The striker has struggled with injuries since signing for the club in the summer

He won’t be available this weekend, but Paul Warne hopes to have Aaron Collins back at his disposal sooner rather than later.

The 28-year-old Welshman has barely kicked a ball for MK Dons this season since his summer move from Bolton Wanderers, breaking his arm in the season opener against Oldham, making a brief cameo against Chesterfield off the bench and making it through the 5-1 defeat to West Ham U21s in the Vertu Trophy before pulling his hamstring.

Back out training on grass again though, Collins’ return appears to be drawing nearer, but head coach Warne admitted this Saturday’s trip to Bromley comes a little too early for the striker to be involved with the first-team again.

“I’m seeing more and more of Aaron Collins. He’s not available this weekend but he’s coming close, Scott (Hogan) is too.

“It does feel like the squad is in better shape and I’d be lying if I didn’t say when everyone is fit it will be an absolute nightmare for me.

“I’ve gone from a three to a two as well. When you’re playing as a three up top when you’ve got five players is nearly manageable. Having two places for five players is just extra competition for places.

“But I’ll worry about that when it comes.”

Having gone through a defensive injury crisis during the last couple of months, Dons’ shortage of options up front has meant little rotation of the key protagonists of late, with both Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Callum Paterson leading the line with little option off the bench.

While charged with leading the line, Paterson has netted just once in his last eight games, but Warne feels the target man brings much more to the team than just goals.

He said: “It’s a fight behind Pato at the moment, he’s been really good at leading the line. I alluded to it at the end of last season and through pre-season that it was essential for us to get a focal point up top.

“Sometimes the role as a striker is to get 30 goals, sometimes, the role is to be a team-playing nine.

“Even in games where he doesn’t get as much goal-action as he deserves, he leads the line really well. He’s a physical threat, he allows players to play around him, and draws players in. He’s leading the line really well.”