The 23-year-old is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and has not featured since the opening day

Paul Hurst is hopeful that John McAtee can be back training with Grimsby Town in some capacity in a month’s time as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery.

The 23-year-old played the full 90 minutes of the Mariners’ first game of the season away at Leyton Orient, but after a shoulder issue reared its head once again at the start of the game, it was decided that the forward needed surgery prevent further incidents.

That surgery has kept Town’s star forward out until now, and it is expected to be a while yet into Mariners fans will see him in action again as he continues his recovery. The club only have McAtee until the end of this season before he heads off to Luton Town on a permanent basis after he was signed and loaned back to Blundell Park in the summer.

The limited to the left to see McAtee playing in the famous black and white shirt means fans are understandably impatient in their desire to see the 23-year-old back in action this season. McAtee top-scored in the team with 16 goals, including two crucial strikes in the play-offs last season as the Mariners, secured promotion back to the Football League at the first time of asking.

While it is a blow to have an important player missing for some time, Hurst remains positive about the forward’s progress in his rehabilitation and reported that the player is in good spirits ahead of his eventual return.

“He’s doing some non-contact training at the moment,” Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside. “He’s progressing with the work he is doing to strengthen his shoulder, and he is happy where he is at this point.

“Him and Chris [Doig] have exchanged messages, and I think his main concern is whether he’ll be able to get back in the team when he comes back! Making progress, but I would still say he is quite a few weeks away.

“It’s good news that he is not just doing gym work because it will help speed up his return when he is back in training and when he does re-join us, he will hopefully be available as soon as possible.

“I would hope that he is back next month, but that is circumstantial. I would hope that we would get him back here at some point, as a minimum and be in a position where he could be involved in the squad.”