CHERRIES star Shaun MacDonald has been working his way back to fitness under the watchful eye of the club’s medical staff.

MacDonald enjoyed a fruitful pre-season campaign but has been restricted to just one appearance due to a nagging hip injury.

The midfielder, who was on target in Cherries’ friendly at Eastleigh in July, came through 90 minutes in the League Cup first round victory at Exeter last month.

But MacDonald has been unavailable for selection in recent weeks and will rejoin Eddie Howe’s squad in training once he is given the green light.

Assistant manager Jason Tindall told the Daily Echo: “Shaun has been on the training pitches working with the physios and sports scientists and is working to a specific programme.

“He has had problems with his hip flexor and his injury is being managed really carefully because, once he comes back, we don’t want him dropping out again.

“Once he passes all the tests, we will integrate him slowly. He came back recently and felt he was okay but then had a little setback where he felt it again so we took him out and left him with the medical staff to get him 100 per cent right for when he comes back. We will have to wait and see how long that will be.”