PAUL Weller made a welcome return to the fray with Burnley last night - 11 months to the day since he last pulled on a claret and blue shirt.

The midfielder has been plagued by stomach problems for over a year and required three major operations last season to solve a serious bowel complaint.

But 11 months on from his second and final appearance of last season, when he was substituted in Burnley's 3-1 defeat at Walsall, he was back on the comeback trail with a run-out for the Clarets reserves at Accrington Stanley.

"It's a first step in what's been a very trying time for the kid. Everybody's delighted that he's got through that first step on what's been a long road," confirmed manager Stan Ternent, who said Weller felt "smashing" after completing almost 50 minutes of the game Burnley won 1-0 with an Anthony Shandran goal.

Weller was given moral support by a clutch of the Clarets first-team squad who were at the Crown Ground to welcome him back along with a sizeable contingent of supporters.

"He got a good reception from the fans which was fantastic and shows that people do care," Ternent added.

It's been a brave fightback from the 24-year-old, who has shown tremendous character to try and win his battle against the illness which first surfaced towards the end of the 1997/98 campaign.

However, after just a 45-minute pre-season run-out there's still a long way to go for Weller to contemplate resuming his League career and Ternent stressed that it's a case of continuing to take great care over his rehabilitation. The former Turf Moor trainee is currently training with the reserves and under the watchful eye of physio Ian Liversedge.

And the Burnley boss added: "He's not out of the woods yet and we've just got to take it easy. We'll be keeping it low profile and let you know when he's ready."

Weller was joined on the comeback trail today by defender Chris Brass, who is recovering from keyhole surgery to repair a hernia problem which will rule him out of the first few weeks of the season.

"He's on the road to recovery and he'll be pleased about that," added Ternent, who takes a 21-man squad to Carlisle United for tomorrow's final public pre-season fixture (kick-off 3.00).

Former Sunderland wide man Martin Smith, who linked up with the Clarets this week and played for 45 minutes at Rochdale on Tuesday night, is included in the party as Ternent takes a further look at the player while deciding whether to try and keep him at Turf Moor.

The Clarets defence is expected to come up against former Bolton and Celtic striker Andy Walker.

Carlisle are hoping to sign the 34-year-old Scot to partner new signing Paul Harries, a 20-year-old Australian striker who was brought over to this country by Terry Venables when he was boss at Portsmouth.

The Third Division club, now managed by former chief scout Martin Wilkinson following a bizarre mid-summer episode when sports psychologist Keith Mincher was briefly in charge, are also expected to have experienced former Blackburn, Leicester and Sunderland midfielder Steve Agnew in their side.

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