Turnbull close to Motherwell return after lengthy lay-off

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson has revealed that David Turnbull is near to returning to first team action after recovering from knee surgery.

The midfielder caught the eye last season with a string of impressive performances that led to Celtic making a move to sign him last June.

A multi-million pound deal was close to completion when an issue was picked up in the medical and “immediate, preventative” surgery was required and the transfer collapsed.

The player has been on the sidelines since but Robinson says he is now close to a return.

“David Turnbull is not far away, which brings a big smile to my face when I watch him in training,” Robinson said. “He is full training, he has played 11 v 11, so we are just waiting for the final OK. I can’t wait for that.”

However, the club has been dealt a blow with news that Jake Carroll has suffered serious injury that will rule him out for months.

“Jake’s going to need surgery on his Achilles,” Robinson said. “He is going to be out for the rest of the season and maybe the start of next season.”

Christopher Long is back in the squad for the Lanarkshire derby against Hamilton while Peter Hartley and Declan Gallagher are back in training after illness.