Soccer:Aston Villa central defender Richard Dunne has set his sights on a return to training in two weeks after undergoing a second operation on his long-term groin problem. Dunne has been sidelined since initially suffering the setback with the Republic of Ireland during their Euro 2012 campaign and has not played since.

But the 33-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, is finally hoping there is light at the end of the tunnel. “The last operation I had seems to have really worked so I’m hopeful that I’ll be back soon,” he explained. “I’ve set a few targets but I keep missing them. It’s frustrating when I can do all the running and the rehab but not the final bit.

“But I’m hoping — fingers crossed — that I can start training in a couple of weeks. I’ve got to see the doctor and from there, hopefully it will be the all clear.”

Dunne has endured a frustrating period with injuries during 2012 after suffering a broken collarbone which caused him to miss the final part of last season. He said: “I’ve been lucky not to have too many injuries during my career but it’s been almost seven months where I’ve not been fit.”