Soccer:Wolves winger Stephen Hunt has returned to light training after a foot injury and is hoping to be fit to make his debut for the club next month. Manager Mick McCarthy signed the 29-year-old from Hull in June knowing he would not be available for at least the first couple of months of the season.
Hunt has not played since February after picking up the problem that subsequently required surgery. But he has now started running again and is targeting a return after the international break in October at the latest.
"I've been out on the pitch jogging for the first time since being here. It was the first time I'd set foot on the green grass and it was only a slow pace, but it all helps," Hunt told the Express and Star.
“The next step will be to get a pre-season under my belt. Then there’s another international break in October and hopefully I’ll be ready to play in the first team somewhere around then.
“After the internationals in October is looking like a realistic date, although I’m thinking differently. But I know how far I can push it and to be jogging is a bonus. When I come back, I want to be fit for the whole season.”
Hunt, who signed a three-year deal on his arrival at Molineux for an undisclosed fee, previously played in the Premier League with Reading and finished last season as Hull’s top scorer.
His return will be a boost to McCarthy, who yesterday left winger Michael Kightly out of his 25-man squad for the first half of the Premier League season to enable him to fully recover from knee trouble.