Linfield captain Chris Shields said “with a bit of luck” he will be fit to return to the Blues’ squad for the upcoming Uefa Conference League qualifiers after missing the majority of last season through injury.
Shields has been sidelined since September due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury which required surgery.
The Blues finished a disappointing fourth in the Irish Premiership, but secured European football this summer by beating Dungannon Swifts in the European play-off final at Windsor Park.
“I’ll be back in pre-season and I’ll be able to run around with the lads,” Shields told BBC Radio Foyle.
“With a bit of luck, I’ll be there in the European squad. Recovery has gone really well. Just on a bit of a break now, so I’ll come back in to meet the physios and get back and hit the ground running.
“It doesn’t suit me being a patient, so I’ll be pushing to be back for Europe. It’s just whether I’m actually medically cleared is the problem for my wife and for the physios.”
David Healy’s side, who won the Premiership two years ago with six games to spare, could not push to defend their title and finished 17 points off champions Larne.
However, they added the BetMcLean Cup to their trophy cabinet after beating rivals Glentoran in the final.
“If you don’t win the league or the Irish Cup, it’s a disappointing campaign, but probably from a personal standpoint it was disappointing to miss the year,” he continued.
“The lads dug in, and I always say when you’re not winning leagues you have to at least stay in amongst the trophies and the lads did manage to do that.
“Finishing fourth obviously is not a deal by anyone’s measures, but to get over the line and win the European play-off at least gives us European football to look forward to in July, given the importance of European money in football now.”