George Honeyman is aiming to play for Millwall in tomorrow’s Championship encounter against Preston North End, hoping to snap a seven-month wait for first-team football.
Since sustaining a grade C hamstring injury against Hull City in April, the 29-year-old midfielder has not kicked a ball for the Lions in a competitive capacity.
When it became clear that Honeyman would not be ready for the conclusion of the season, even if the South Londoners made it to the play-offs and the championship game, he also had shoulder surgery.
After a summer of rehabilitation, the former captain of Sunderland injured his thigh during a preseason friendly at Gillingham in July.
Before the international break, Honeyman did make his way back into Millwall’s matchday roster, and he is eager to go back to work.
“It’s the longest I’ve been out of work in a long time,” he said to the South London Press. “I’ve previously had six- or eight-weekers. Aside from an ankle surgery that sidelined me for several months while I was at Hull, I’ve been quite fortunate.
“This is the first time in my career that I have ever had two significant muscle injuries back-to-back. The fact that I completed it at the conclusion of the previous season and the start of this one was fortunate.
“Because of the summer, I haven’t missed as many games after being away for six to seven months. That’s the lucky way I have to look at things.
“You’re just happy to be back when you first step upon the bench. However, after a few more goes, all you want to do is go on and support the guys. I can only maintain my composure for so long before I want to start chasing people and throwing objects.
Now that I’ve completed a few weeks of training, I feel pretty secure in myself. While I doubt I’ll be able to play for ninety minutes on Saturday, I think I could play for twenty or thirty.
“Hopefully, I’ll be getting back on the green stuff soon.”
Prior to the Gills game, Honeyman had a thigh injury, although at the time, he didn’t believe it was anything to be very concerned about.
“I had been out for about four months at this point, so I wasn’t sure if it was just an aching pain you get from pre-season,” Honeyman said. Therefore, I thought that it was simply my body adjusting to returning to exercise rather than anything more.
“I just didn’t feel right when I started the Gillingham game. Once more, my thigh became tense as I attempted to run down the line.
I went for a scan and discovered another grade three C tear in my thigh, even though I had believed I was being wise by not trying to play through it.
“The news broke my heart. I fought so hard to get back after giving up my summer to be in. Being back with the guys was pleasant, and after that it was:
“Until the October international break, you are out.”
It feels so far away when you hear that in July, even if I didn’t think it was that horrible.
“My thigh never felt as horrible as the condition that was identified in it. However, you follow instructions and pay attention to the professionals.
It won’t take me long to get back into the swing of things, in my opinion.
“I may make a few sloppy passes in the first few games, but hopefully I have worked on those in training so come game day, I can get right in and help the guys and the team.”
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