Martin Boyle has confessed to feeling frustrated by his lengthy injury comeback - but insists he remains on course to make a welcome return at the start of next season.
The Hibernian winger suffered a knee injury against St Mirren at the end of October and was subsequently devastated to be ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
In a bid to be fit for the World Cup with Australia, the 29-year-old underwent a minor tidy-up operation in Qatar, only for surgeons to discover pre-existing cruciate ligament damage.
Having made a significant impact with four goals in 12 appearances following his return to the club from seven months in Saudi Arabia, Boyle has been sorely missed by Hibs during his absence.
However, he has revealed a recent trip to join up with the Australia squad Down Under saw him stop off in Qatar for tests that showed he is progressing well in his rehabilitation.
The former Dundee striker said: “The recovery’s going well. I’m a bit frustrated, going round in circles at the moment, but I’m keeping the right mindset, focused on where I want to be.
“I’m making little goals. I don’t want to say them out loud, I don’t want any setbacks. But it’s going well and I’ll hopefully be back soon.
“The physio team and the staff are happy with my progress.
“I also went out to Qatar a few weeks ago and did some testing and that was all positive.
“I’m setting little goals for myself but I don’t want to set long-term targets.
“But I want to be on track for the start of the season.”
After he was ruled out of the World Cup, Boyle was appointed ‘vibes manager’ but the Socceroos during the competition in a bid to keep him involved and tap in to his energetic personality.
But he admits he has needed his Hibs team-mates to raise his spirits on occasion in recent months as he has battled back to fitness.
Asked if he was performing his vibes manager role at Hibs, he added: “No, they’re miserable around there!
“Injuries are setbacks but I can wake up every morning and say I’ve still achieved my goal.
“I’ll get back to where I want to be but I’m in a privileged position with a smile on my face.
“I know every day’s not going to be happy and that’s where [my Hibs team-mates] need to pick me up.
“But I come in every day and keep the spirits up and make sure everyone’s on their toes.”
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