Patience will be a virtue for Leko after tentative step towards MK Dons return

Ben Gladwin knows all too well the patience required to come back from a significant knee injury, something which two of his players are getting to know first hand.

Jonathan Leko and Ronnie Sandford made tentative returns to on-field action on Tuesday night when they featured in MK Dons’ Berks & Bucks County Cup semi-final defeat to Bracknell Town - the first football either have played in a year.

Leko, a January signing from Birmingham City in 2023, has been in the treatment room for 13 months following his cruciate injury suffered barely two minutes into his debut out on loan at Burton Albion, having made 46 appearances for the club prior.

Interim head coach Gladwin is certainly no stranger to knee injuries with his career cruelly curtailed, forcing him into retirement last summer at just 31-years-old. Witnessing Leko’s recovery up close and personal, Gladwin said patience is the key trait needed when coming back from a lengthy time out, and said the attacker will need to manage his own expectations in the next few weeks as he looks to get back into the first-team fold before the end of the season.

He said: “We've got to manage his expectations and build him up in the right way, because we don't want him to take a step backwards.

“(Patience?) You have absolutely none! You get back on grass and touching a ball months and months before you can get close to a game. That can feel like a really long process, and Leks has been on the grass for a while now but being ready to play a Football League game is a different kettle of fish.

“Unfortunately, I have far too many memories of being in that position myself. Often, you feel you're ready and the reality is that you're not.

“Managing that expectation is tough because he just wants to play football, and having it taken away is a huge frustration.”

Speaking about Leko’s return to the pitch, Gladwin continued: “It's incredible for him, he's been chomping at the bit. For him to have ticked that off will be huge for him. It's a big step for him to getting back to achieving his potential.

“I remember hearing about him from a really young age, so I'm excited have more time with him and to see what he can do.”

For keeper Sandford too, Gladwin was delighted to hear of his recovery, adding: “All the same boxes apply to Ronnie too. Sometimes as a youngster, you feel like you've taken those steps to get into the first-team, you have it taken away.

“Since I've been in the building, I've not had a lot of interactions with him but he has an amazing energy, I really like him a lot, and he has trained like a beast. I'm really pleased for the both of them.”