What a specialist told injured Rotherham United winger Shane Ferguson this week

The winger has been troubled by hernia issues since January and hasn't worn a first-team jersey since last May's survival-sealing Championship win over Middlesbrough.

He has twice had operations over the summer – the latest one of which was conducted by a world-leading surgeon in Germany – and remains some way off from making a recovery.

The 32-year-old saw a specialist on Monday and manager Matt Taylor said: “It's positive in that no more surgery is required.”

Ferguson has already had injections to alleviate the problem and is now set for another course of similar action.

“He's having a jab in a nerve,” Taylor said. “I’ve had a chat with him and I'm not sure he can have any more after this set. He can't keep on having jabs and operations.”

The situation has left the player and club equally frustrated as time drags on without him being able to return to training.

“We're going to have to find a way of getting a programme into him,” Taylor said.

Ferguson played in pain in the second half of last season and was rewarded for his efforts with a 12-month contract extension.