Bradley Dack is continuing to be positive in his battle to overcome a second knee ligament injury and is hoping for a smoother rehabilitation as a result.

It took Dack a year to overcome his first ACL injury, sustained in December 2019, one slowed by muscle injuries along the way.

A similar injury, but to the opposite knee, that he suffered in the defeat to Brentford last month threatens to see Dack miss much of the calendar year, having played 17 times and scored three goals before the devastation of requiring surgery once again.

However, in the weeks since the operation Dack is already seeing positive signs on his comeback trail and believes the early weeks after surgery hold the key to a smooth return.

“The good news was that there wasn’t as much damage as what was first feared, although the ACL was still ruptured,” the 27-year-old told the club website.

“But the other stuff with the knee wasn’t as bad as the previous injury and hopefully that means everything will continue to be smooth and come back quicker.

“It’s just about working hard, the first six to eight weeks are the most important.”

Having sustained the injury once before, Dack says that has enabled him to come to terms with what’s required much quicker and is also looking at different methods of rehabilitation to add some variety under the watchful eye of first-team physio Ibrahim Kerem.

“Life just feels a little bit easier this time and it feels a big win for me. It took me five weeks or so to walk around without pain and it’s taken me two weeks this time,” said Dack, who signed a new contract through to 2023 weeks after his last return.

“The operation went really well, better than what the surgeons thought it would be.

“Every day my knee’s getting better and it’s feeling better every day as well.”

Manager Tony Mowbray reported the positive spirits Dack was in following their chat earlier this week, and while the attacker requires the use of crutches, he’s feeling ahead of scheduling when comparing his post-surgery feelings.

And having suffered two serious injuries in the space of 15 months, he’s hoping some long overdue luck arrives during the course of the coming weeks.

He explained: “I’m hopeful that everything will run a little smoother than it did during my first injury.

“I’m not in a brace this time, I can walk faster and I’m getting my range of movement back quicker.

“These first few weeks have gone really smoothly and I’m hopeful that the rest of the recovery will continue down that path.

“We’ve got that bit of luck with the success of the operation and I feel we’ve been due it as well.”