Billy Clarke’s season has still yet to begin.

Nearly exactly a year to the day, Clarke picked up the knee ligament injury at Blackburn which ruled him out until his return in mid-November.

READ: Charlton Christmas Calendar: Day 9 - The star-man

Playing in the FA Cup and League Cup the midfielder is still some way short of the player he was before his second serious knee injury of his career.

Manager Lee Bowyer is a big fan of the Irishman but would’ve began planning for the current campaign without him such was the severity of his injury.

Midfield had been cause for concern for Bowyer with injuries to Jake Forster-Caskey, Ben Reeves and Darren Pratley now side-lined.

READ: Bowyer bemoans referee in Blackpool defeat

Joe Ward and Josh Cullen came in on loan to fill the void, but injury to the latter has seen Albie Morgan and George Lapslie get more first team action that they would’ve thought at the beginning of the season.

Clarke’s return to the fold is a welcome one, but to get him up to full-speed looks like it will take some time as his cup performances were that of a man who looked like he’d been on the side-line for some considerable time.