BY IAIN COLLIN – @CCP_sport
Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston has expressed his delight after promising youngster Ryan Williamson stepped up his comeback from a double leg break earlier than expected.
The Scotland under-19 defender sustained the horror injury in a sickening clash with Forfar defender Michael Dunlop in the teams’ Petrofac Training Cup tie in August.
After four months on the sidelines, the 19-year-old, who has made 44 appearances for the Pars since making his debut as a 17-year-old, has inched closer to a first-team return by starting jogging again
However, despite being thrilled with Williamson’s progress, Johnston has confessed the full-back still has plenty of rehabilitation work left to do.
The Fifers boss, whose side are now six points clear at the top of League One following Saturday’s narrow win over Stenhousemuir, said: “The big news for us is that Ryan Williamson is back running for the first time.
“That’s fantastic. We’re all delighted because he’s worked really hard in the gym.
“It’s still going to be a slow process to build it up but obviously that’s a massive step in the right direction.
“The first day you start jogging is a milestone when you’re coming back from a long-term injury.
“We’re all delighted he’s at this stage already because it’s probably earlier than I thought.
“We’re lucky with the way he’s healed so far, but we’ve still got to be really careful with him.”
