Young forward Jack Lankester is excited to be back in action after returning from a long-term back problem.

The 20-year-old missed the entirety of last season after suffering a second stress fracture in his back during the Blues’ 2019 tour of Germany, having initially picked up the injury in January of that year.

But he’s been cleared for training since April and is said to have impressed during Town’s early weeks of training, before playing in the second of the club’s two friendly victories at Colchester United on Tuesday night.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Lankester told the club website.

“The hard work that you put in when you’re injured - it all comes down to being back out there with the boys and playing some football.

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“All of these games are physical because people have been waiting so long to play. It was high intensity but we were all expecting it so I think we done pretty well in dealing with it.

“I missed last season but that’s all in the past now. From day one I was with the boys and loved every minute of it. Working up to a game - I’ve missed that feeling.

“I think it definitely helped me coming back in the small groups in pre-season. It gave me a bit of extra time to get up to that level where other people were.”

Lankester’s next outing is likely to come tomorrow, when Town travel to Premier League side Tottenham.