Liam O’Neil is back in training at Cambridge United

Liam O’Neil has made the tentative first steps back to returning for Cambridge United.

The 27-year-old midfielder has been out with a hamstring problem since the second game of the season, but he returned to training on Monday.

No timescale has been set on a playing return though, with presumptions still being made that it will not be until the new year.

“Any time you announce one [a timescale] there is always a possibility when you are out with muscle injuries that they can come back and bite you,” said United head coach Mark Bonner.

“He is back training, so we will just keep our eye on him. It was great to see him out there and we will see how that goes in the next few weeks.”

O’Neill will need a lot of game load and training minutes to be able to return to competitive action, but to have him back out with the group again has been welcomed.

“He is a brilliant trainer, good influence around people and works really hard,” said Bonner.

“There is no doubt he helps us in that sense, but he is some way off being ready to play games at the moment.

“But it’s good to have him around and see how this next stage of rehab goes. With hamstring injuries, the last part of rehab can take quite a long time.

“Getting to bigger areas and higher speeds is a tough one for him, but he is not at that point yet.

“He is able to join in the smaller sided stuff and a lot of the technical stuff, which is good for him as it gets a bit monotonous being in the gym every day on your own.”

United face Colchester United at home tonight (kick off 7.45pm), and they have been given a further boost with the return to full fitness of striker Joe Ironside after a quad injury.

A decision on whether he will start the match is yet to be taken, but it is good news as the U’s look to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers last Saturday.

“He is back in training, and ready to go if called upon,” said Bonner.

“It’s a good addition for us. Obviously, you always miss him whether it is from the start or as an impact from the bench.

“I think you see in the last two league games at home, certainly, and Saturday to have that option to turn to the bench and have that physical option as a striker would certainly have made a difference for us.

“You do miss that when it isn’t there. His impact has been great either from the start or when he has come on in games.”

Andy Dallas is also set to return on the bench, after missing out at Forest Green.