Hull City boss Phil Brown is hoping for an injury-free run for ex-Tottenham defender Anthony Gardner.
The 28-year-old saw his season ended after suffering four broken vertebrae during the Tigers' FA Cup exit at Arsenal in March.
"Fingers crossed, he'll be back in pre-season," Brown told the Hull Daily Mail.
"It's amazing what the kid went through, four broken vertebrae in a back. We didn't harp on about it at the time but just for him to be on the training ground and jogging at the end of the season was a big bonus.
"I'm looking forward to people like Anthony getting a full pre-season and pushing on again with much better fitness levels."