Lee Steele and manager Ian Atkins have played down suggestions that the striker's troublesome pelvic injury is career-threatening.

Lee SteeleAnd the former Shrewsbury Town and Brighton forward believes he could be back in action in two to three weeks.

Steele has not played a first-team game for United since joining them from Brighton in the summer, and he says the injury has been frustrating beyond belief.

But, as Atkins reveals in his column in the Oxford Mail today (Sat), visits to see a specialist in Nottingham have identified the exact problem.

Steele said: "I honestly thought I'd be back now, but it's a really niggling injury. When I kick a ball with my right leg I feel it in my left groin

"I've been to see one of the top specialists and he's identified what it is. I've got a lot of rehabilitation work to go through over the next two weeks, but as soon as I'm fit, I'll be pushing to play, banging on the manager's door to tell him I'm ready.

"I've been on the bench before, but I haven't been right."

He explained: "Originally it was an abdominal strain which turned into a groin strain, which then turned into back spasms and finally now, it's a pelvic problem.

"My pelvis is twisted and tilted. It's just a case of getting everything square and not feeling any pain when I'm running. I'm just desperate to play."

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