Taylor Walker remains on track for an early-season return, says coach Brenton Sanderson.

Walker, 23, is progressing well in his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury sustained last April. The two-time Crows leading goalkicker has impressed with his meticulous approach to his recovery and is joining in a number of training drills.

Sanderson said it was impossible to pinpoint an exact date for Walker’s return, but that he expected the star forward to be available early in the season.

“Tex is on target for an early-season return. I know there’s huge interest in this story and rightly so because he’s one of our most important players, but Tex will play when he’s ready. That will be a conversation we have with Tex, his surgeon, our Club doctor and Duncan Kellaway, who has done Tex’s rehab the whole way through,” Sanderson said on Thursday.

“There haven’t been any setbacks. As you would’ve seen at training today, he’s flying. It’s a 12-month injury. It was a serious knee injury and we won’t take any risks.

“I’d love to give you a round or a date, but he’ll return when he’s ready.”

Prior to Christmas, Sanderson famously said Walker could be ready for Round One.

He now admits he got carried away after seeing the powerful athlete on the training track.

“Tex trained right through the offseason break and spent some time in America with Bill Knowles, who is the knee rehab specialist .When he returned to start pre-season he looked amazing,” Sanderson said.

“We were really happy with the progression he made in that time. I was very bullish he could return as soon as Round One, but the reality is his target is sometime early in the season.”

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