Manager Keith Hill believes Peter Vincenti could prove to be “like a new signing” for the club once he fully recovers from the ankle injury which has kept him side-lined for the majority of the season.
The 30-year-old completed 45 minutes in Wednesday’s Lancashire Senior Cup tie against Everton, making his first appearance since September.
With Vincenti having played less than a handful of games this season, Hill says it’ll be a few weeks before he's re-introduced into the matchday squad.
“There will be a lot of patience with Pete," said Hill.
“I’ve got no plans to have him back involved in a matchday squad for about three weeks. We’ve got a couple of bounce games coming up behind closed doors, where hopefully he’ll get more minutes.
“He got 45 minutes against Everton and we’re slowly, slowly making progress with him. We can’t rush him and it’s important that when he does get his opportunity that he’s 100-percent ready, both physically and mentally.
“It could be like a new signing for us, because he has missed a lot of football this season. He could prove to be an integral part of the squad during the final phase of the season.”