The 23-year-old sustained the injury during the 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in March and is working hard at the club's Bodymoore Heath HQ.

Davies told the club's official website: "I'm coming to a good stage and I've just stepped the rehab up by now being able to run rather than biking everywhere.

"But I can't get too carried away. I feel good and it's nice that I can run but it's still a long way back to recovery.

"I was told six months at the beginning and that would make it dead on 1st September. I'm still confident I can reach that - be it playing or just training. I'd like to be out on a football pitch at least by then."

my squats

The defender continued: "Whether it's earlier or later than that, I want to make sure it's healed right. I want the longest career I can get and rushing is not going to do me any good.

"At the moment I'm working on the treadmill, going on the bike, doing my upper body weights, doing my squats. It all ends up being a long morning but it has to be done as part of my rehab.

"You can't just concentrate on the injury - if you do that the rest of you falls apart. So I'm making sure I keep toned up and don't put too much weight on. I want to make sure that when I do come back I'm fighting fit for a place in the team."

www.avfc.co.uk