Rangers have confirmed forgotten man Andrius Velicka is expected to return to pre-season training at Murray Park after almost a year out with an horrific knee injury.
The Lithuanian striker endured a nightmare debut a day after joining Bristol City on loan in August, lasting just 11 minutes before being carried off with cruciate ligament damage.
The 31-year-old's Ibrox career appeared to be in the balance when he was sent to Ashton Gate for a year last summer.
It remains to be seen whether Rangers will nurse him back to match fitness simply to sell him or if he has a genuine future with the Scottish champions.
The club's financial problems and the possible sale of star striker Kris Boyd may open the door for the former Hearts star, who struggled to make himself a permanent feature at Ibrox after signing from Viking FK for £1million almost two years ago.
Velicka's last outing for the Light Blues was as a substitute in August's pre-season defeat at Portsmouth.
He also made appearances from the bench on the summer tour of Germany against FC Nurnberg and SC Wiedenbruck, scoring against the latter.
He had enjoyed a fine end to the previous season, netting crucial goals in four consecutive games and helping Rangers win the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, their first Scottish title for four years.
He jetted back to his homeland on holiday on Thursday morning, having spent months working on his recovery.
Source: PA
