KANE RITCHIE-HOLSER is being involved in training as much as Athletic can allow and will be in "great condition" to play when he is given the green light to return.
The 21-year-old is on the comeback trail from a dislocated shoulder, which was the third serious injury that he has suffered throughout a frustrating campaign.
Luck has not been on the popular winger's side since he completed a permanent move to Dunfermline from Rangers in the summer, following a highly successful loan stint last season.
The former Manchester City youth suffered an ankle injury in pre-season which required surgery, and had to wait until September to play his first competitive game of the campaign.
A substitute appearance against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, however, was followed by a knee problem picked up in training, which also needed an operation.
After two more months out, Ritchie-Hosler came back in November, and played four more games before suffering his latest setback in a home game with Arbroath.
He had to go under the knife for a third time, and Pars boss, James McPake, explained: "I feel for Kane Ritchie-Hosler because he can do absolutely everything in training - shooting, crossing - but he just cannot bump into anybody yet.
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"He's looking great, but you can see that he is getting frustrated because he wants to do more, but we are including him in everything we can. I don’t know when it is, but by the time his time is up, he will be on great condition just to go.
"He will obviously have to go through the final checks banging in (to others), falling but he is having a bit of fun out there and we are involving him as much as we can. That’s good for us as well because it is another good player on the training pitch.
"From the experience of having been an injured player as well, you can sympathise with them when they are out. It certainly frustrates me when he's back and I see the things he can do. Yes, without contact, but you don’t need contact to put the ball on the striker’s head when he's crossing them in for them, or when he's shooting.
"He's got goals to his game, dribbling past, albeit mannequins, but he's still getting it out of his feet. He's very good with both feet and he's a lever player. That is what frustrates me. He looks great.
"I've had the same injury, so I know the process and it's frustrating me from the side that we've not got him as a player."
In addition to Ritchie-Hosler, McPake is still waiting on Andrew Tod, Alex Jakubiak, Matty Todd, Kyle Benedictus, and Rhys Breen returning from injuries, as well as Sam Fisher.
"You forget about them at times because come game week you are focussing on who is available for the Saturday, who is likely to be back," McPake continued.
"If so, who do you need to protect, because they are maybe carrying a knock. At times they are at the back of your head, and then sometimes they just take you by surprise. When you walk on the training pitch and you see them motoring away you are thinking 'woah, I’d quite like to have them to choose from'.
"They will be back and do their bit for this club play between now and the end of the season."
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