MODEL patient Jonathan Douglas is on course for a comeback in the New Year after making a miraculous recovery from a serious knee injury.

Douglas feared his career might be over when a challenge by Everton striker Danny Cadamateri left him with cruciate and medial knee ligament damage earlier this year.

But now the forgotten midfielder has been pencilled in for a reserve team return on January 7 -- six weeks ahead of schedule!

And club doctor Phil Batty has paid tribute to the 20-year-old's amazing powers of recovery.

"Jonathan has been a dream patient," said Batty. "Coming back from an injury like that is mentally very difficult, especially when you're a young lad.

"But he's applied himself as well as anyone I've ever worked with because he's been so responsible and dedicated.

"In fact, at times, we've even had to hold him back because he's wanted to get back too quickly. But now he's back in full training and he just needs to get some of the finer points to his game back together now over the next couple of weeks.

"All being well, though, we've got a provisional return date of January 7 pencilled in which would see him back six weeks ahead of schedule."

Douglas was on the verge of the first team when a challenge by Cadamateri in the reserves against Everton stopped him dead in his tracks. He suffered both cartilage and medial knee ligament damage from the tackle but most worringly of all, his cruciate ligament also needed reconstructing. It was the type of injury which has finished some players' careers.

But, thanks to the skill of the surgeon who helped to save Roy Keane's career in similar circumstances several years ago, he has since battled back under the guiding eye of Batty and Rovers physio, Dave Fevre.

"There are players around who haven't come back from injuries like that and, if they have, they certainly haven't reached the levels of fitness Jonathan has," said Batty.

"A lot of things can go wrong when you suffer an injury like that.

"The operation itself can go wrong or you can get complications in your rehabilitation.

"But he had an excellent surgeon who performed the operation and he's been working with a brilliant physio, too, in Dave Fevre.

"So we're delighted with the progress he has made."

Douglas first came to Rovers' attention following a tip-off from Irish scout Gerry Cassidy after his proposed move to Celtic broke down.

And he made such an impression with the Academy that he got a call-up to the first team last season in the Worthington Cup.

Academy coach, Bobby Downes, is convinced he can bounce back from all his injury problems to re-establish himself on the first team scene.

"Dougie's as good a professional as I've ever worked with," said Downes. "He's only a quiet lad but he's got a tremendous attitude to the game.

"And, if anyone can come back from the type of injury he's had, then it's him. I firmly believe he's going to make a career in the game and, in my opinion, that could be at the top level.

"What really impresses me about him is his attitude -- nothing seems to faze him.

"He's had some tragedy in his life in terms of the fact his brother was killed in a car crash when he was younger.

"But the way he has bounced back from that shows he's as hard as nails and he's got tremendous character."