EMMANUEL Osadebe aims to put seven months of injury frustration behind him today when he steps back on to a football pitch.

The midfielder is ready to start again after having his leg broken in two places just minutes into his City debut on the opening day of the season.

Osadebe will play in a behind-closed-doors game this afternoon - his first action since being stretchered off against Doncaster on July 30.

It’s a huge landmark for the summer signing from Walsall as well as Mark Hughes.

The City boss said: “We’ve just got to take it game-by-game in terms of his preparation and see where we are.

“But he looks good given the severity of the injury. It’s great that he’s been able to come through almost every part of his rehab without any setbacks.

“That’s unusual, so that’s credit to Manny and his professionalism.

“Everything needed to fall into place for him to have any chance.

“We were given a date of the end of February when he would be available to possibly train and we’re bang on schedule for that. He’s done really well.

“We all remember the circumstances of the injury and the timing of it. It was a real setback for him and everybody at the club because we knew he was going to be a big miss.

“Just building up match fitness is the key now.

“Manny will play and other guys who have missed out on game time will get a run-out as well, so we’ll see what they can do. They might give me an option.”

Hughes has admired the way Osadebe has maintained his high spirits during the lengthy period of rehab. City have been very careful not to take any chances with his recovery.

“He had a couple of weeks of non-contact, which you always do when somebody is coming back from a big injury like Manny had.

“He’s come through that period and he’s fully integrated.

“He needs game time obviously and we’ll see where he is after that. It’s his first real game against any different type of opposition.

“It’s different within the training group because everybody knows the circumstances.

“Sometimes there will be challenges that the lads have backed out of because obviously we don’t want to compromise Manny or certainly didn’t in those early sessions.

“That won’t be the case once he goes up against outside opposition so we’ll see how he goes.

“Given how he’s been training and how well he looks, I would hope that he will get through that quite comfortably.”

Once up to speed, Hughes believes Osadebe’s return can offer a variety of options to boost a midfield that struggled in Saturday’s dismal home loss to Barrow.

“Manny’s versatile and has got a lot of strings to his bow. He can play in any number of the positions in midfield.

“He sees himself predominantly as an eight but he can play in wider positions as well. He gives me different options and it’s always useful to have players like that.

“His personality as well is an important part of what he is as a player and a person. That’s the big thing we’ve probably missed on a matchday.

“It will be good to get him back involved if we can. But we won’t force that issue.

“We don’t have to because we’ve got options. But clearly Manny wants to get back involved and it’s important that he continues to progress towards that aim.”