Kenny Jackett: Mike Williamson's all ready to go for Wolves

Hopes are high that defender Mike Williamson is finally over his injury woes, says Wolves boss Kenny Jackett.

The 32-year-old didn't kick a ball in anger for the club after joining from Newcastle United for £200,000 in January.

Williamson was initially sidelined with a thigh injury, which then led to a troublesome tendon problem, all of which means he's been out since a loan spell at Molineux was curtailed at the end of last November.

However, after a tailored summer fitness schedule, Williamson is now taking part in training with the rest of the first-team squad.

Jackett said: "Mike doesn't seem to have any issues and we're optimistic he's over his problem.

"He's had a tailored programme over the summer and has been in most of the time, so it's not a big shock to him suddenly coming back today (Monday).

"It does seem as if he's used the summer constructively and we're very optimistic he's going to be OK.

"Mike, Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Nouha Dicko have all taken part as normal. I'm looking forward to seeing how the week goes for those guys.

"All are expected to train this week and hopefully start to build up now."

The players will take part in fitness assessments and training drills for the first part of this week, followed by football work on Thursday and Saturday.

On Saturday July 9 they will take on Shrewsbury Town in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Compton Park, in which Jackett plans to give players a half each.

The first official friendly is at Crewe on Friday July 15, before the squad travel to Cork for a week two days later and then play Cork City on Monday 15.

Other friendlies follow against Port Vale (Saturday 23), Northampton Town (Tuesday 26) and at home to Swansea City (Saturday 30).

Jackett said of the start of pre-season training: "We have six weeks now until we start against Rotherham and the majority of the players have come back.

"There's a few that haven't. Dave Edwards is obviously still out there in France with Wales and doing very well.

"Other lads – Kortney Hause, Dominic Iorfa, Lee Evans and Carl Ikeme for various reasons, international or play-offs, they have until next Monday.

"Other than that everyone is back.

"The consensus of the first week will be fitness work. They're in at different times over the next three days to fill their slots and make sure that all of the relevant fitness work that they do is monitored.

"Then if everybody is OK and up to standard we'll be able to train and start with the football work on Thursday morning.

"Next week the basis of it will be three sessions per day then we do step it up in the two weeks before we go to Cork.

"We have two weeks before the Shrewsbury game and will be working hard and training very hard."