Boss Dave Artell has admitted that midfielder James Jones could still be a number of weeks away from a return as his problematic injury-plagued pre-season continues to persist.

Jones will visit a specialist doctor today for a second opinion on his pubic bone problem in the hope that the 21-year-old can return sooner rather than later.

Artell said: “James Jones has gone to see Mo Farah’s doctor today for a second opinion to see where we’re at with him to make sure his pubis bone is not a major concern because he’s still got a bit of discomfort.

“We’ll assess him over the next week, two weeks or three weeks – however long it takes. I keep saying to James, it’s a long, hard season & he needs to make sure he’s right for the remainder of the season as supposed to keep breaking down.

“We look after our players. It’s important to look after the young athletes with their careers ahead of them. We can’t rush him back, we need him for the majority of the season."