Positive Paterson progress could see him back by early April
The Scot could be back before the end of the season
Top-scorer Callum Paterson could be back training with the MK Dons squad at the end of March ready for the final few weeks of the season.
The 31-year-old has been out since Valentine’s Day when he injured his ankle in the 1-0 win over Newport County, with fears he may be missing for the remainder of the season.
After seeing fellow frontman Aaron Collins miss just two games with an ankle issue, Paterson has started running on an anti-gravity treadmill this week and is expected to be back on grass at the start of next, offering boss Paul Warne hope that the former Sheffield Wednesday man could be a late addition to his squad for the run-in.
The head coach though is remaining pragmatic.
“In fairness, he still could be (out for the rest of the season),” he said. “While he’s starting running again, he could have a set-back, could be in pain.
“He’s got a high tolerance for pain in fairness, but I’d like to think we would have him back training with the squad by the end of the month. That leaves us bringing him back into a team hopefully still doing really well with six games left, and that’s a powerful weapon to have.”
He may have other weapons at his disposal too sooner rather than later. Defender Curtis Nelson is expected to be back in time for the weekend’s trip to Swindon Town, while long-term absentees Will Collar and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are due back imminently too.
Warne added: “Mendez isn’t far away, Will Collar isn’t far away, and we’re hoping too to get the green light for Nels back for the weekend. Slowly but surely we’re getting players back but we know you take with one hand and give with the other.”