GEELONG will maintain a cautious approach when it comes to Daniel Menzel's return to football, with a case of knee tendinitis set to push his aim of a mid-year return back another month.
After progressing well in his journey back from his fourth knee reconstruction, Menzel hit a roadblock about four weeks ago.
Geelong football manager Neil Balme told AFL.com.au the Cats had not set a firm date on Menzel's likely return.
"We have no problems with when he plays – May, June, July, August, September, or even next April – it wouldn't worry us – we're just looking to give him the opportunity to recover," Balme said.
Menzel had set the personal goal of returning midway through this season, but he conceded his return had been postponed.
"We were going pretty well up until about a month ago and we just had a couple of minor hiccups," Menzel told Geelong radio station K-Rock on Thursday night.
"Pretty much we just have a little bit of tendinitis in the front of the knee.
"Obviously the whole time we've said (a likely return) is after mid-year and we’re not going to put a timeframe on it.
"But admittedly I've probably been set back a month or so, but hopefully now we’re right on top of it and it can’t set us back too much, I guess."
Menzel will be back in training in a week or two, although Balme said it was something the Cats would monitor with a great deal of care.
"It's all a bit too early to know all of that (Menzel's return)," Balme said.
"There's nothing new from our angle. I spoke to Peter Stanton (Geelong's physio) before just to talk it through and he's been a little bit sore in the tendon, but I reckon that's pretty normal."
Balme said Steven Motlop remains on track from his rehabilitation from a more serious case of knee tendinitis, which required surgery in London.
"He's tracking OK. We're happy with what he's done," Balme said of Motlop.
"He hasn’t been able to do any serious running, so that's going to be the test. But that'll come."
The Cats have given ruckman Nathan Vardy, who ruptured his ACL at training last month, permission to travel to Europe in July.
The trip is designed as a mental break, with the view of him returning ready to attack pre-season training in October.
Balme also said midfielder Allen Christensen is still a "couple of months, at least" from making his return from a serious back issue.
Christensen had surgery on a lumbar disc in his back in February, and the Cats are confident he will return with no ill-effects.
