By Martin Morgan

Last updated 12:51, Thursday, 24 July 2008

Key playmaker Liam Campbell could be set for a shock first appearance of the season following knee reconstruction surgery – if Workington Town reach the NL2 play-offs.

Liam Campbell

The dynamic half-back, one of Cumbria’s brightest young talents, has not featured for Dave Ro theram’s team this term following the operation on his anterior cruciate ligament in March.

And he had been expected to write off the campaign. But he is back in light training and targeting a return to fitness in the first week of September, the opening week of NL2 play-off eliminators.

“If I play this year it will be the best feeling,” he said. “In two to four weeks at most I’ll be back in full training.

“But at the moment I’m running out of games. It’s looking harder and harder for us to get in the play-offs.

“If we get in, it’s going to be difficult for Dave to select me, with not having any games going in to the play-offs, but if I’ve got the confidence to go on to the field, I’ll put my hand up for selection.

“Training has gone really well and my fitness levels are as good as last season. I feel fresh and my speed doesn’t seem too far down. Another week or two or two and it should be back to normal.”

Campbell suffered the knee injury in a pre-season squad trip to a judo club in Kendal. He was selected for the festive friendly against Haven but aggravated the injury in the warm-up and has not featured all season.

The 22-year-old also suffered an interrupted campaign last year, breaking his ankle in the sparkling home win over Celtic Crusaders at the end of May and missing the rest of the season.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and his options remain open for next year.

“We’ll have to see what happens, but it would be nice to play for Workington again,” he said.

“There was me, Neil Frazer and Darren King out for the season before it even started. And it seems that every week you go in, another player is out for the season.

“It’s been tough on the lads and frustrating. I’ve never been to a club with as many injuries in a season. But I’m sure the club will bounce back.”

The RFL revealed yesterday that three clubs would be promoted to NL1, with only one relegated to League Two, leaving two divisions of 10 teams next term.

The top two will go up automatically and a third through a six-team play-off of the teams finishing third to eighth. Town currently lie in the last play-off berth.