ANDREW Davies is looking forward to catching up with Kyel Reid tomorrow – although he won’t expect to if it comes to a sprint.

Preston’s jet-heeled winger is continuing his comeback from the serious knee injury which suddenly ended his City career.

Reid made his tenth appearance coming off the bench in North End’s FA Cup win at Havant & Waterlooville on Monday and is sure to play some part against his former team-mates.

Davies said: “It will be nice to see him but I don’t fancy a foot race. I’ll just get my arms out and he’ll have to go the long way round!

“Kyel and Stephen Darby have obviously trained together a lot and I’m sure it will be a good battle between them. We all know Stephen’s a good defender one-on-one.

“But it’s great to see Kyel back because he’s such a positive person and someone who enjoys his football.

“Having said that, he didn’t particularly like the cold weather. I’ll always remember he’d go hiding when it got chilly!”

There were few more thrilling sights for City fans than Reid in full flight during his 110-game stay at Valley Parade.

It was a cruel way to end for Phil Parkinson’s first signing at the club when he was carried off from Bramall Lane in January. He had snapped his anterior cruciate ligament after landing awkwardly in a challenge from Tony McMahon.

“It was heartbreaking,” admitted Davies, who ironically had been stepping up his own recovery from a knee injury on the pitch before the game that day.

“Even though it’s not your injury, you never want to see a team-mate suffer like that and it was a sad time for everyone.

“Football injuries are cruel – I know that as well as anyone.

“But the main thing is he is back playing again now and doing what he does best. That’s great news for him and for Preston.

“He was very quick and some games he was absolutely outstanding. It was a real loss to us.

“The good thing is Kyel is still fairly young so he’s only going to get better now he has recovered again.”

Few know the rigours of fighting back from a serious problem better than Davies. He appreciates how much hard labour Reid, who joined Preston on a two-year deal in June while still not ready to play, has had to put in to get back.

Davies added: “You watch the other players on the pitch, going out to training and enjoying themselves and you’re stuck in the gym on a bike.

“You don’t become a footballer to sit on a fitness bike. It’s a challenge but you can’t let the world get to you.

“It’s most important that you keep on top of everything asked of you by the fitness people and the physios.

“Then when you do come back, even though you are obviously lacking on match sharpness, you’re still that little bit closer than you would be if you don’t do things right.”

Preston have not lost a league game at home in 2014 since Brentford won 3-0 four days before last Christmas. But that adds to the incentive for Davies.

He said: “Preston were a good team last year and are probably even better now. But I wouldn’t write us off.

“We went to (leaders) Bristol City and drew 2-2 when nobody gave us any hope of getting something. We’ve got to take belief from results like that.”