Birmingham City goalkeeper Maik Taylor still has hopes of more first team action.
He returned from his longest spell on the sidelines as a non-playing substitute, ironically against Nottingham Forest, in Saturday's FA Cup tie at the City Ground.
Taylor said: "Before this, I had never really done more than three weeks out. You get small injuries but I had never had anything like this which meant months out. It's been a new experience for me. I came back for pre-season and trained with all the lads and then to be out for nearly five months is really hard.
"Any footballer will tell you it's difficult to watch. We have been doing really well, which is fantastic, but you want to be part of it and in the team."
But Taylor accepts he faces a massive task to unseat the current first-choice centre-back pairing of Roger Johnson and Scott Dann ahead of Saturday's visit of Manchester United, with Blues unbeaten in 11 Premier League games.
He said: "The team hasn't changed over the last seven or eight league games because we have been winning and the manager (Alex McLeish) will want to keep that team as much as he can. You don't want to change a winning formula.
"But there may be injuries and suspensions and you may get a chance then. I just need to make sure I am ready and keep myself in the right frame of mind to go in when I am needed."