ALEX Jones remains a “way off” starting a game for City as he looks to make up for lost time after nearly a year out.

The striker made his first appearance at Valley Parade since last November when he played the final eight minutes in the Checkatrade Trophy in midweek.

Jones is buzzing to be back and is set to join the squad again tomorrow for the clash with Accrington Stanley.

But David Hopkin will feed him gently back into the fray.

He said: “Alex has been out a long time but he’s been looking sharp in training.

“It’s important that we tried to get him on the field the other night against Oldham and it was good to see him back.

“He’s always wanting to have a shot at goal, which as a striker you can’t teach. It’s definitely a boost.

“But I still think he’s going to be three or four weeks away from full fitness.

“Having him back is great but he is still a way off starting football matches.”

Hope Akpan joined a part of the training yesterday before continuing his rehab. The midfielder has been working privately with a physio to speed up his return from a dislocated shoulder.

But Jake Reeves is dealing with a small setback that has held up his recovery.

Josh Wright is back in Hopkin’s plans for the Wham Stadium as City begin a run of games where the head coach believes they must turn improving performances into points.

“We need to keep focused and doing the things we’ve been working on,” he said.

“We can maybe start dominating some more games because I feel our fitness levels have been getting there over the last three weeks and we’re creating a lot of chances.

“These are the type of games now over the next couple of weeks where we need to start to collect some wins.”

Accrington are currently 10 points ahead of City in seventh spot and Hopkin expects a tight contest on a tight ground.

“They’ve got momentum after coming up last season. That’s the great thing when the manager has been there a few years.

“They’ve got a structure in place and know how they play.

“Accrington have got a good home record but we need to go there and be positive.

“They are organised, play good football and make it difficult for teams. They are usually involved in tight games, 1-0 either way – and hopefully it goes towards us tomorrow.”