Thomson steps up his recovery

Dunfermline have been boosted after midfielder Joe Thomson started kicking a ball again as he steps up his recovery from a serious knee injury.

The former Celtic youngster has been sidelined since the end of March after suffering cruciate knee ligament damage in the Pars’ 1-0 defeat to Ayr United.

The 22-year-old underwent surgery in May and has been going through the lengthy rehabilitation process ever since.

Without wanting to put a timescale on Thomson’s comeback, manager Stevie Crawford admits he is thrilled to see the player back on the training pitch.

But with no setbacks so far, the Fifers will be hopeful of seeing the energetic playmaker back in action before the end of the year.

And the Scotland under-21 cap has company in his recovery sessions as defender Euan Murray takes it easy in his road back to fitness after suffering a neck injury against Queen of the South earlier this month.

Crawford said: “Euan Murray had a week or so off but he is back doing a bit of ball work with Joe Thomson.

“It’s non-contact stuff, back on the training field but that’s what it is going to be with Euan until his neck is checked and scanned.

“We are looking at a scan in six weeks’ time to give us the green light. He can do his conditioning work, it’s just noncontact stuff until then.

“Joe Thomson is continually making progress day to day.

“It is good for Joe, personally, to be back running.

“Even just being back among some of the other injured players is good for his morale.

“We have not had anything untoward to put him behind schedule.

“But we don’t want to be putting a timescale on him at the moment given the seriousness of the injury.”

Joe Thomson is on the long path to a Pars return.