DETERMINED defender Michael Duff has spoken of his relief at completing his first game for five months.

The 29-year-old made his comeback from multiple knee ligament damage by playing the full 90 minutes of Burnley's reserves clash with Preston North End in midweek.

Although the game ended in a 3-0 defeat for the Clarets' second string, Duff was just delighted to be involved.

"I was just glad to get through the 90 minutes," he said. "I wasn't particularly pleased with my performance, but it's been five months since I played now, so other things will come, like my heading and all the things like that.

"But my knee felt good, which is the most important thing, and it's 90 minutes under my belt."

Duff has previously admitted there were times when he feared he might never play again, after damaging lateral and cruciate knee ligaments, as well as a hamstring tendon in the match against Crystal Palace at the end of September.

The Northern Ireland international underwent one of two operations he was scheduled for, but the second was cancelled just before Christmas after his consultant discovered the cruciate ligament had begun to reattach itself.

That has helped to speed up Duff's recovery, giving him hope of making a return in a season that was all but written off last year.

However, the former Cheltenham defender, admitted he is still reluctant to think too far ahead at this stage.

"The knee was good in the game, but I've got to see how it reacts.

"It might take four games, it might take seven or eight. It's hard to put a marker on it but it's a start," he said.

"It was just nice to put a pair of shinpads and a kit on again - I'd forgotten what it's like, so it will all come back I'm sure.

"But the knee was good. I wasn't really thinking about it or anything like that, which is the most important thing.

"When I first went back to training I was a little bit tentative and you're thinking about things.

"But it's probably been good that I've had three weeks of reserve games called off because I've trained that extra little bit and it's just about getting a few more games and getting timing and the little bits of contact that you don't get in five-a-sides and training.

"I had a behind closed doors game, but that was a friendly sort of game so I haven't really counted that one.

"I'd class the reserves on Wednesday as my first proper game."

He added: "That's another box ticked - I've just got three or four to go now and then hopefully I'll be ready for selection."