Lewis Martin has taken a welcome stride towards his long-awaited comeback by resuming light training.
While boss Peter Grant is unable to put a time-frame on when the 25-year-old will be able to resume full-contact work, the sight of the defender moving from the gym to the grass has been a heartening one.
Martin has not played a senior game for the Pars since a 1-1 draw at Partick Thistle in March 2020, missing the entirety of the 2020/21 campaign due to a persistent calf complaint.
However, his fitness woes go back further than that.
The former Scotland under-19 international played just two matches during the 2018/19 season after undergoing groin surgery and suffering subsequent set-backs.
Referring to Martin and fellow recent absentee Iain Wilson, Grant said: “It’s great to have them back on the grass. It’s a big plus that they are out of the gym, progressing and moving forward.”
Discussing Martin’s case specifically, Grant continued: “We are talking about three years.
“There are a lot of different issues you need to think about. You don’t know how someone has changed mentally and physically. You just need to be very careful.
“After such a long period of time, this isn’t a hamstring or even a nine-month ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). That is probably what we are managing more than anything else.”
Patience is a virtue
And Grant has urged Martin to ensure his pride does not get in the way of his progress as the Pars boss preaches patience.
“There are some days when he won’t be fit to train — even doing his own thing — because he worked so hard the previous day, having come from zero,” continued Grant.
“We really want Lewis not to be too embarrassed to say: ‘I need to put the brakes on today’ if he is feeling it.
“Knowing the type of kid he is, he’ll want to train every day — but that could lead to a negative. We want to keep him on a positive path.”
Late transfer business
Meanwhile, Grant has refused to rule out adding to his 10 summer signings prior to the closure of the transfer window on August 31.
He added: “I’m not going to say ‘nothing will happen’ because suddenly — bang — you pick up an injury or a player jumps out that you didn’t realise would be available.
“If we feel there is someone who can improve the group then, definitely, we will still be in the market.
“But if I go through the window and this is the group I have, then I’ll be delighted. If these boys are all playing at their best, I’ll not find many better players than them on loan.”
