Thursday 8 September 2011 13:50, UK
Torquay boss Martin Ling says Daniel Leadbitter is "90 percent" fit, but he is not willing to rush the 20-year-old into the first team.
Leadbitter joined the Gulls from Newcastle in the summer but has yet to make his debut, following hamstring and back injuries. The defender got through 45 minutes of a reserve-team outing against Brighton earlier this week, but Ling said a first-team appearance is still some time away. "He is progressing nicely but progressing how we always intended, which is slowly," Ling told the club's official website. "He is still not available for first-team action because, if you're going to be picked, you need to be available for 90 minutes. Even if you're a substitute, you might go on after one minute. "He is getting to the stage where he is 90 per cent fit and we just need to get him through that final hurdle."