'A little light at the end of the tunnel': Regan Poole with the news all Portsmouth and Wales followers want to hear

But he won’t put a timeframe on when the Fratton faithful can expect to see him back in match action.

Encouragingly, the 26-year-old is maintaining excellent progress during recovery from ACL damage sustained against Chesterfield in November.

The Wales international will not feature in the Blues’ pre-season friendly programme, while won’t be available for the start of the Championship campaign, which kicks off on August 10.

Nonetheless, Poole is now able to run with his team-mates, while has advanced to kicking a ball again on grass, albeit on his own.

And the former Manchester United man is heartened how his comeback is advancing. 

Poole told The News: ‘It’s a slow injury, it takes time, but I’m on the final stretch now, I can see a little light at the end of the tunnel.

‘I’m back out on the grass, moving, running and going in the right direction. I have made a lot of progress, especially in the last month, I’ve really pushed on.

‘Since I have been back on the grass, I’ve taken the next step and can finally feel myself able to play football again after such a long time.

‘You look at people playing and think “How are you doing that, because I’m in so much pain”. ‘But I’ve just moved onto changing direction, so I’m running, kicking the ball, doing everything I am supposed to be doing at the minute. I’m on the right path.

‘It’s a big difference doing running and kicking the ball by yourself, then integrating with other players around you, that’s the next step. Until I do that then they can’t really put a timeframe on when I’m going to be back.

‘I shocked myself really because you don’t see yourself running again after so long, after six months or whatever not doing it. When you first go out, you don’t expect it because you’ve been in pain for a long time.

‘Suddenly, you actually think “Do you know what, I’m all right, I can do that”. Then it’s just little steps. Sunday was a big one for me because I upped my pace on my run, I was changing direction.

‘You finish some days and say “That was a big step in the right direction”. Since I have been over here, I’ve made a lot of progress.

‘I have been running with the first-team in the morning runs. I’m on a different program to them at the minute, but they’re trying to integrate me back into the group slowly, so I can start to do what they are doing.’

Poole featured 16 times and made his Wales debut during an outstanding start to his Fratton Park career at the beginning of last season.

Then a freak incident with Chesterfield’s Will Grigg robbed him of his season, with the Blues winning the League One title in the talented central defender’s absence.

He added: ‘Your target could be an unrealistic one. I could say “I want to be back at this time” and the physio says “No”. So it's a bit pointless me saying timeframes, it’s the physio who has to say it.

‘I don’t want to put a timeframe on it because if the physio says something different then I’d be disappointed. So I’m just going off what he tells me.

‘Besides, you never know what’s going to happen between now and until I’m predicted to be back, but I’m making real progress.

‘While I’m on my own at the minute, I am conscious of my knee, but when other people are involved in a full training situation, you forget about that and are worried about the ball. Until then, they can’t put a timeframe on it.’