Thursday 14 July 2011 16:05, UK
Long-term injury absentee Aaron Downes hopes to be available for selection when Chesterfield begin their League One campaign next month.
The Australian centre-back missed the whole of the Spireites title-winning season and has not played since suffering a second cruciate knee ligament injury in February 2010. That setback came in just his seventh match back after a similar injury sustained in April the previous year. Downes is relishing the prospect of playing when Chesterfield face Tranmere after he signed to extend a one-year contract. "I've had two operations since my injury at Port Vale and my pre-season build-up has being going very well so far," he told the Derbyshire Times. "I have been working hard with fitness coach Shane Nicholson and physio Jamie Hewitt. I am hoping it will be like a new centre half coming into the club."
